Decision No. 133/1998/QD-TTg on approving the National Target Program to eliminate hunger and reduce poverty for the period 1998-2002

Pursuant to …;

Regarding the approval of the National Target Program to Eradicate Poverty for the period 1998-2002

 in the period 1998-2002

PRIME MINISTER

Pursuant to the Government Organization Law dated September 30, 1992;

Pursuant to Decision No. 05/1998/QĐ-TTg dated January 14, 1998 of the Prime Minister on managing the National Target Programs;

At the proposal of the Minister of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs and the Minister of Planning and Investment,

DECISION:

Article 1. Approves the "National Target Program to Eradicate Poverty for the period 1998-2000", including settlement and support activities for ethnic minorities in particularly difficult areas, aimed at creating favorable conditions for poor people to develop production and increase income, thereby eradicating poverty.

The Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs is the permanent agency assisting the Government in implementing the program.

a) To enhance the awareness of Vietnamese enterprises regarding the protection of intellectual property rights so that enterprises can proactively build, exploit, develop, and protect their intellectual property;

The National Target Program to Eradicate Poverty for the period 1998-2000 is a comprehensive inter-sectoral program within the national strategy for socio-economic development, with the goal of reducing the proportion of poor households in the country to 10% by the year 2000.

2. Scope of the Program:

The program will be implemented nationwide. In the early years, priority will be given to poor communes, especially those in mountainous, border, island, remote, and far-flung areas.

3. Content and Activities of the Program:

The poverty eradication program includes the following projects:

a) Project for investment in infrastructure construction (excluding rural clean water) and resettlement of population;

b) Project for production support and industry development;

c) Credit project for the poor;

d) Education support project;

đ) Health care support project;

e) Project guiding the poor on how to do business and promoting agriculture, forestry, and fisheries;

g) Project enhancing the capacity of cadres working on poverty eradication and cadres in poor communes;

h) Settlement, relocation, and new economic zone establishment project;

i) Project supporting ethnic minorities in particularly difficult areas.

4. Implementation Period: Three years (1998-2000).

5. Total Investment Capital and Sources:

Estimated at approximately 10 trillion VND, including the following sources:

- State budget;

- International cooperation;

- Other sources.

Annually, the Ministry of Planning and Investment and the Ministry of Finance will allocate sufficient funds based on budgetary capacity to achieve the program's goals.

Article 2. On Organizational Implementation:

The National Target Program to Eradicate Poverty operates under an inter-ministerial mechanism. Responsibilities of relevant ministries and sectors are assigned as follows:

1. Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs:

- Serve as the permanent agency assisting the Government in coordinating with relevant ministries and localities in implementing the National Target Program to Eradicate Poverty;

- Take the lead in coordinating with the Ministry of Planning and Investment, the Committee for Ethnic Minorities and Mountainous Areas, and other relevant ministries and sectors to identify poor communes in priority order and guide localities in developing specific projects to submit for approval according to current regulations on investment management and construction, while supervising and inspecting implementation after projects have been approved by competent authorities;

- Coordinate with the Bank for the Poor to allocate credit resources, prioritizing highland, border, island, remote, and far-flung areas;

- Coordinate with relevant ministries, sectors, and mass organizations to guide the poor on how to use borrowed capital effectively and in accordance with the intended purpose;

- Coordinate with the Committee for Ethnic Minorities and Mountainous Areas and localities to implement the project to enhance the capacity of cadres working on poverty eradication and cadres in poor communes as stipulated in point g, Clause 3, Article 1 of this Decision;

2. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development:

- Take the lead in coordinating with relevant ministries and sectors and localities to manage and implement the settlement, relocation, and new economic zone establishment project as stipulated in point h, Clause 3, Article 1 of this Decision;

- Take the lead in coordinating with the Land Administration General Department, relevant ministries and sectors to implement the project to support production and industry development for poor households as stipulated in point b, Clause 3, Article 1 of this Decision;

- Take the lead in coordinating with the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs, relevant sectors, and organizations to implement agricultural, forestry, and fishery promotion for poor households in the project as stipulated in point e, Clause 3, Article 1 of this Decision.

3. Committee for Ethnic Minorities and Mountainous Areas:

- Take the lead in coordinating with relevant ministries, sectors, and related localities to implement the project to support ethnic minorities in particularly difficult areas as stipulated in point i, Clause 3, Article 1 of this Decision;

- Coordinate with the Ministries of Transport, Construction, Education and Training, Health, Trade, Industry, and localities to implement the project for infrastructure construction and population resettlement as stipulated in point a, Clause 3, Article 1 of this Decision;

- Coordinate with the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs to train cadres in highland poor communes.

4. Ministry of Planning and Investment:

- Take the lead in coordinating with the Ministry of Finance to balance the budget allocated by the State Budget for component projects of the Program that have been approved, to be included in the annual plan indicators of provinces and centrally-administered cities for submission to the Prime Minister;

- Coordinate with the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs, relevant ministries and sectors to guide localities in integrating related programs with the National Target Program to Eradicate Poverty on the same territory from planning to implementation;

5. The Ministry of Finance:

- Coordinate with the Ministry of Planning and Investment to determine the annual State Budget capital for the program;

- Guiding financial management mechanisms for mobilized funds for the Program;

- Direct and organize timely and full disbursement according to the approved budget and objectives.

6. State Bank of Vietnam:

Take the lead in coordinating with relevant ministries and sectors to implement the credit project for the poor as stipulated in point c, Clause 3, Article 1 of this Decision.

7. The Ministry of Education and Training:

Take the lead in coordinating with relevant ministries and sectors to implement the education support project as stipulated in point d, Clause 3, Article 1 of this Decision.

8. Ministry of Health:

Take the lead in coordinating with relevant ministries and sectors to implement the health care support project as stipulated in point đ, Clause 3, Article 1 of this Decision.

Article 3. The Steering Board of the National Target Program on Poverty Reduction shall manage the Program in accordance with the provisions set forth in Decision No. 531/TTg dated August 8, 1996 of the Prime Minister on managing national programs and Decision No. 05/1998/QĐ-TTg dated January 14, 1998 on managing national target programs.

The Steering Board of the Program and the ministries and sectors that are project sponsors shall cooperate with the Vietnam Fatherland Front and other mass organizations in organizing and implementing the program.

Article 4. This Decision takes effect fifteen days after the date of signature.

Article 5. The Ministers, Heads of ministerial-level agencies, Heads of agencies under the Government, and Chairpersons of provincial and municipal People's Committees directly under the central government which have projects under the Program shall be responsible for implementing this Decision./.