Circular No. 14/2018/TT-BLDTBXH Amending and Supplementing Certain Articles of Circular No. 17/2016/TT-BLDTBXH dated June 28, 2016 of the Ministry of Labor - Invalids and Social Affairs guiding the annual review process for poor households and near-poor households according to the multidimensional poverty standard applicable for the period from 2016 to 2020.

CIRCULAR

Amending and supplementing some articles of Circular No. 17/2016/TT-BLDTBXH dated June 28, 2016 of the Ministry of Labor - Invalids and Social Affairs guiding the annual review process for poor households and near-poor households according to the multidimensional poverty standard applicable from 2016 to 2020

28 June 2016 Circular of the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs guiding

the annual review process for poor households and near-poor households according to the multidimensional poverty standard

applicable for the period from 2016 to 2020

Pursuant to Decree No. 14/2017/NĐ-CP dated February 17, 2017, of the Government, stipulating the functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure of the Ministry of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs;

Pursuant to Decision No. 59/2015/QD-TTg dated November 19, 2015 of the Prime Minister on issuing the multidimensional poverty standard applicable from 2016 to 2020;

At the proposal of the Director of the Social Assistance Administration,

The Minister of Labor - Invalids and Social Affairs issues this Circular amending and supplementing some articles of Circular No. 17/2016/TT-BLDTBXH dated June 28, 2016 guiding the annual review process for poor households and near-poor households according to the multidimensional poverty standard applicable from 2016 to 2020.

Article 1. Amending and supplementing some articles of Circular No. 17/2016/TT-BLDTBXH dated June 28, 2016 of the Ministry of Labor - Invalids and Social Affairs guiding the annual review process for poor households and near-poor households according to the multidimensional poverty standard applicable from 2016 to 2020

2. Amending Clauses 6, 7, 8, and 9 of Article 4 as follows:

"1. Method: Conduct reviews through various evaluation methods, scoring assets, collecting information on household characteristics and living conditions to estimate income (based on analyzing the results of household living standards surveys, converting average monthly per capita income into corresponding score points when conducting reviews and asset assessments, specifically: VND 700,000 equals 120 points; VND 900,000 equals 140 points; VND 1,000,000 equals 150 points; VND 1,300,000 equals 175 points) and determining the level of lack of access to basic social services for poor households and near-poor households according to the procedures set out in Chapter II and at Annexes 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d, 2đ, 2e, 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d, 4 attached hereto."

2. Amending Point a and Point b Clause 1 Article 5 as follows:

"a) Households submit supplementary application forms for poor and near-poor status recognition (Annex 1a attached hereto) directly or via postal service to the People's Committee of the commune for receipt and processing;

b) The People's Committee of the commune directs the Poverty Reduction Board of the commune to compile lists of households with application forms (Annex 2a attached hereto) and organize verification using Form B (Annex 3b attached hereto); report verification results and submit to the Chairman of the People's Committee of the commune for decision on recognizing new poor and near-poor households; publicly post the list at the People's Committee office;"

Verification, examination, and issuance of the Decision recognizing new poor and near-poor households shall not exceed seven working days from the date of receipt of the household's application form. In case of non-recognition, the reasons must be clearly stated;"

3. Amending Point a and Point b Clause 2 Article 5 as follows:

"a) Households submit applications for poverty exit and near-poverty exit recognition (Annex 1b attached hereto) directly or via postal service to the People's Committee of the commune for receipt and processing;

b) The People's Committee of the commune directs the Poverty Reduction Board of the commune to compile lists of households with application forms (Annex 2b attached hereto) and organize verification using Form B (Annex 3b attached hereto); report verification results and submit to the Chairman of the People's Committee of the commune for decision on recognizing households exiting poverty and near-poverty; publicly post the list at the People's Committee office;"

Verification, examination, and issuance of the Decision recognizing households exiting poverty and near-poverty shall not exceed seven working days from the date of receipt of the household's application form. In case of non-recognition, the reasons must be clearly stated;"

4. Amending Point a Clause 1 Article 6 as follows:

"a) For households potentially classified as poor or near-poor: Surveyors use Form A (Annex 3a attached hereto) to quickly identify household characteristics based on the application form. If the household does not meet the criteria for poor or near-poor status as specified in Column 0 of Form A, they are removed from the review list. Remaining households are assessed according to items from Columns 1 to 9 of Form A; if the household meets two or fewer criteria, they are included in the list of potentially poor or near-poor households (Annex 2c attached hereto) for further review using Form B.

Commune-level poverty reduction specialists and village chiefs proactively identify households facing difficulties, risks, or potential poverty or near-poverty but without application forms for supplementary recognition, and include them in the review list."

5. Amending Clause 2 Article 6 as follows:

"2. Organizing reviews and compiling household classification lists

Surveyors conduct reviews of households using Form B for urban and rural areas respectively (Annex 3b attached hereto). In cases where households residing in wards (within cities or towns) or towns (within districts) have land and livestock characteristics similar to those in rural areas, the Provincial Review Steering Committee specifies the application of rural land and livestock characteristics in Form B for assessment and scoring. In cases where households reside in rural or mountainous areas with rivers, lakes, and boats, the Provincial Review Steering Committee specifies the application of boat point values for the area based on comparable regions.

After reviewing, summarizing, and classifying the results as follows:

a) List of poor and near-poor households identified through review, including:

- Urban poor households are those with a total score of B1 140 points or less (income-based poverty) or households with a total score of B1 above 140 points up to 175 points and a total score of B2 30 points or more (poverty due to lack of access to basic social services);

- Rural poor households are households with a total score of B1 of 120 points or less (households poor in income) or households with a total score of B1 above 120 points to 150 points and a total score of B2 of 30 points or more (households lacking access to basic social services).

- Urban near-poor households are households with a total score of B1 from 140 points to 175 points and a total score of B2 below 30 points.

- Rural near-poor households are households with a total score of B1 from 120 points to 150 points and a total score of B2 below 30 points.

b) The list of households that have escaped poverty and near-poverty through review includes:

- Urban households that have escaped poverty:

+ Households that have escaped poverty and surpassed the near-poor standard are households with a total score of B1 above 175 points;

+ Households that have escaped poverty but remain near-poor households are households with a total score of B1 from 140 points to 175 points and a total score of B2 below 30 points;

- Rural households that have escaped poverty:

+ Households that have escaped poverty and surpassed the near-poor standard are households with a total score of B1 above 150 points;

+ Households that have escaped poverty but remain near-poor households are households with a total score of B1 from 120 points to 150 points and a total score of B2 below 30 points;

- Urban households that have escaped near-poverty are households with a total score of B1 above 175 points;

- Rural households that have escaped near-poverty are households with a total score of B1 above 150 points.";

6. Amend Clause 3 of Article 6 as follows:

"3. Organize meetings of the people to unify the results)

a) Participants: village head (chairing the meeting), representatives of party organizations, mass organizations, cadres conducting the review of poor and near-poor households in the village, and invite representatives of households participating in the meeting. If necessary, the village head reports to the People's Committee of the commune to send representatives to participate in the meeting.

b) Content of the meeting: unify opinions on the results of the assessment and scoring according to Form B for households in the review list (mainly focusing on newly generated poor and near-poor households, households that have escaped poverty, and households that have escaped near-poverty).

c) The results of the meeting are recorded in two minutes (according to Appendix number 2đ issued together with this Circular), signed by the chairperson, secretary of the meeting, and representatives of the households (one copy kept at the village, one copy sent to the Poverty Reduction Board of the commune for consolidation)."

7. Amend Point a of Clause 6 of Article 6 as follows:

"a) The Chairman of the People's Committee of the commune bases the classification results of household investigations and reviews, taking into account the comments of the People's Committee of the district to decide on recognizing the list of poor, near-poor, households that have escaped poverty, and households that have escaped near-poverty within the locality; publicly post the list at the People's Committee of the commune and issue certificates of poor and near-poor households to poor and near-poor households within the locality according to the approved list of poor and near-poor households (according to Appendix number 2e issued together with this Circular or designed by the locality but must ensure basic information as prescribed in Appendix number 2e) to serve the management of target groups and implementation of state poverty reduction policies;"

8. For some localities that have reorganized the Steering Committees of National Target Programs for the period 2016-2020 according to Decision No. 41/2016/QĐ-TTg dated October 10, 2016 of

9. Appendices number 1a, 1b, 2e, 3a, 3c, 4a, 4b, 4c, 4d, 4đ issued together with Circular No. 17/2016/TT-BLĐTBXH dated June 28, 2016 of the Ministry of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs guiding the annual review process of poor and near-poor households are abolished and replaced accordingly by Appendices number 1a, 1b, 2e, 3a, 3c, 4 (Appendix 4 includes Forms 4a, 4b, 4c, 4d, 4đ, 4e, 4g) issued together with this Circular.

Article 2. Effective Date

1. This Circular takes effect from November 10, 2018.

2. In the course of implementation, if there are difficulties, please promptly reflect them to the Ministry of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs for study, amendment, and supplementation to be appropriate./.