Decision No. 20/2007/QD-TTg Approving the National Target Program on Poverty Reduction for the 2006-2010 Period

 

Pursuant to …;

Decision No. 20/2007/QĐ-TTg of  the Prime Minister approving the National Target Program on Poverty Reduction for the period 2006-2010 

 

PRIME MINISTER

Pursuant to the Law on Organization of the Government dated December 25, 2001;

Pursuant to Resolution No. 10/2005/NQ-CP dated September 5, 2005 of the Government;

Pursuant to Decision No. 170/2005/QĐ-TTg dated July 8, 2005 of the Prime Minister on issuing poverty standards applicable for the period 2006-2010;

Considering the proposal of the Minister of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs.

DECISION:

Article 1. Approves the National Target Program on Poverty Reduction for the period 2006-2010, with the following main contents:

I. OBJECTIVES OF THE PROGRAM

1. General Objective: To accelerate the rate of poverty reduction, limit relapse into poverty; consolidate poverty reduction achievements, create opportunities for households that have escaped poverty to become better off; improve living and production conditions in poor communes and particularly difficult communes; enhance the quality of life for poor households, limit the rate of increase in income disparity and living standards between urban and rural areas, between plains and mountainous regions, and between rich and poor households.

2. Specific Objectives by 2010:

a) Strive to reduce the proportion of poor households from 22% in 2005 to 10-11% in 2010 (a 50% decrease in the number of poor households over five years);

b) The income of poor households increases 1.45 times compared to 2005.

c) Strive for 50% of particularly difficult communes in coastal and island areas to escape their particularly difficult status.

II. OBJECTS OF THE PROGRAM

The objects are poor individuals, poor households, particularly difficult communes, poor communes; priority given to poor households headed by women, ethnic minority poor households, and poor households with social welfare beneficiaries (the elderly, disabled persons, children in special circumstances).

III. IMPLEMENTATION PERIOD OF THE PROGRAM: FROM NOW UNTIL 2010.

IV. KEY INDICATORS TO BE ACHIEVED BY 2010

1. For particularly difficult communes in coastal and island areas, basic infrastructure facilities must be constructed according to regulations.

2. Six million poor households will benefit from preferential credit loans.

3. Agricultural, forestry, and fishery extension services, technology transfer, and guidance on business practices will be provided to four million two hundred thousand poor individuals.

4. Tuition fees for vocational training will be waived or reduced for one hundred fifty thousand poor individuals.

5. One hundred percent of poor individuals will be issued health insurance cards, and when they fall ill, medical expenses will be covered by the Health Insurance Fund according to regulations.

6. Tuition fees and contributions for school construction will be waived or reduced for nineteen million poor students, including nine million elementary school students.

7. Training programs to enhance capacity for one hundred seventy thousand poverty reduction workers at all levels, ninety-five percent of whom are grassroots-level cadres.

8. Support to build permanent housing for five hundred thousand poor households.

9. Strive for ninety-eight percent of poor individuals in need to receive free legal aid.

V. MAIN POLICIES, PROJECTS, AND ACTIVITIES OF THE PROGRAM

1. Group of policies and projects to create conditions for poor individuals to develop production and increase income, including:

a) Preferential credit policy for poor households;

b) Policy to support land for production for ethnic minority poor households;

c) Agricultural, forestry, and fishery extension projects and support for production development and industry promotion;

d) Project to support the development of essential infrastructure in particularly difficult communes in coastal and island areas;

đ) Vocational training project for poor individuals;

e) Project to replicate successful poverty reduction models.

2. Group of policies to create opportunities for poor individuals to access social services:

a) Health care support policy for poor individuals;

b) Education support policy for poor individuals;

c) Housing and clean water support policy for poor households;

d) Legal aid policy for poor individuals.

3. Group of projects to enhance capacity and awareness:

a) Poverty reduction capacity enhancement project (including poverty reduction cadre training and communication activities);

b) Monitoring and evaluation activities.

VI. MEASURES TO IMPLEMENT THE PROGRAM

1. Continue to raise awareness, determination, and resolve among poor households and communes to overcome poverty and become prosperous; enhance the capacity of poverty reduction cadres; emphasize the responsibility of organizations at all levels to implement the Program; strengthen people's participation and oversight by elected bodies, political organizations, and mass organizations.

2. Budget for implementing the Program:

Total capital for poverty reduction is approximately 43.488 trillion VND.

Of which, by source of capital:

- Central budget: 12.472 trillion VND (28.68%);

- Local budget: 2.260 trillion VND (5.2%);

- Community mobilization: 2.460 trillion VND (5.66%);

- International mobilization: 296 billion VND (0.68%);

- Credit capital: 26.000 trillion VND (59.79%).

a) Direct funding for the Program is approximately 3.456 trillion VND. Of this amount: central budget support is 2.140 trillion VND; local budget is 560 billion VND; community mobilization is 460 billion VND; international mobilization is 296 billion VND;

b) Funding integrated with existing policies is approximately 40.032 trillion VND (such as credit, health assistance, education, land for production, housing, and clean water for ethnic minorities), of which from the central budget is approximately 10.332 trillion VND.

3. Implementation mechanism of the Program:

a) Mobilize resources through a multi-source mechanism: in addition to direct financial support from the central budget of about 12.472 trillion VND, local budgets must allocate at least 1% of their annual total expenditure to implement the Program; mobilize enterprises, communities, households, and individuals, and seek international financial support from multilateral, bilateral, and non-governmental organizations;

When allocating these funds, priority should be given to mountainous, coastal, and island communes with high poverty rates based on the number of beneficiaries and the level of difficulty in each region.

b) Create conditions for people to participate in the process of building and implementing the Program to ensure democracy, transparency, and accountability;

c) The State directly supports poor individuals with costs related to education and vocational training (waiving or reducing tuition fees directly to learners or training institutions), and healthcare costs (issuing health insurance cards);

d) Continue to decentralize management to localities, especially commune level, in managing poor households and implementing the Program.

đ) Implement monitoring and evaluation based on establishing appropriate indicators at various levels. Localities conduct self-monitoring and evaluation, combining with oversight, monitoring, and evaluation from ministries, sectors, the National Assembly, People's Councils at all levels, independent scientific advisory organizations, and community oversight and evaluation.

4. Organizing to implement the Program:

a) Establish a Government Steering Committee for implementing the National Target Program on Poverty Reduction for the period 2006-2010 and the Socio-Economic Development Program for Particularly Difficult Communes in Ethnic Minority and Mountainous Areas for the period 2006-2010 (Program 135 Phase II), with the participation of relevant ministries, sectors, and mass organizations;

b) Establish a Program Coordination Office under the Central Steering Committee located at the Ministry of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs; at the local level, the Department of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs serves as the permanent coordinating body for implementing the Program within its jurisdiction.

VII.DIVISION OF MANAGEMENT RESPONSIBILITIES AND ORGANIZATION TO IMPLEMENT THE PROGRAM

1. Responsibilities of central ministries and sectors:

a) The Ministry of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs acts as the permanent body of the Program:

- Assist the Government Steering Committee in directing the implementation of the Program; take the lead and coordinate with relevant ministries and sectors in developing five-year and annual plans regarding objectives, tasks, solutions, and financial requirements for the Program, to be submitted to the Ministry of Planning and Investment and the Ministry of Finance for consolidation and reporting to the Government; develop mechanisms, policies, and guidelines for implementing the Program; propose support mechanisms for newly poverty-free households and communes to the Prime Minister;

- Take the lead in organizing the implementation of certain projects: supporting infrastructure development in particularly difficult communes in coastal and island areas; vocational training for the poor; expanding poverty reduction models; enhancing poverty reduction capacity; monitoring and evaluation activities;

- Urge, inspect, and monitor the implementation of the Program by ministries, sectors, central agencies, and provinces directly under the Central Government.

b) The Ministry of Planning and Investment is responsible for balancing and allocating resources for the Program; coordinate with relevant ministries and sectors in developing mechanisms, policies, and managing the implementation of the Program;

c) The Ministry of Finance coordinates with the Ministry of Planning and Investment to allocate the budget for ministries, sectors, and localities to implement the Program according to the provisions of the State Budget Law; take the lead and guide the financial mechanism for the Program's policies and projects; coordinate with the Ministry of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs to draft guidance documents, inspect, and monitor financial expenditure for the Program; consolidate and settle the Program's budget;

d) The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development directs and guides the implementation of agricultural, forestry, and fishery extension projects and supports production development and industry promotion; coordinate with other ministries and sectors in directing investment in infrastructure projects serving agricultural production, models linking enterprises with poor households and communes;

đ) The Ministry of Fisheries takes the lead and coordinates with other ministries and sectors in directing aquaculture models; guide the construction of facilities to serve the development of fisheries in particularly difficult communes in coastal and island areas;

e) The State Bank of Vietnam directs and inspects the implementation of preferential credit policies for poor households and policy targets of the Social Policy Bank;

g) The Committee for Ethnic Minorities directs and guides the implementation of land support policies for ethnic minority poor households; housing and clean water support policies for ethnic minority poor households, and coordinates with other ministries and sectors in implementing related policies in ethnic minority regions;

h) The Ministry of Construction coordinates with the Committee for Ethnic Minorities and other ministries and sectors in directing and guiding the implementation of housing and clean water support policies for poor households;

i) The Ministry of Health directs the implementation of health support policies for the poor;

k) The Ministry of Education and Training directs the implementation of education support policies for the poor;

l) The Ministry of Home Affairs directs the implementation of personnel allocation for poverty reduction work at all levels;

m) The Ministry of Justice directs the implementation of legal aid policies for the poor;

n) Information and propaganda agencies have the responsibility to promote awareness of the importance and significance of the Program; promote effective and innovative poverty reduction models; report on the Program's activities and results, thereby enhancing responsibility for poverty reduction work;

2. Responsibilities of localities:

a) Mobilize resources and organize the implementation of Program targets and contents according to the directives and guidance of the Government Steering Committee and relevant ministries and sectors;

b) Allocate responsibilities among different levels and departments at the same level in organizing the implementation of the Program based on the principle of increasing decentralization and emphasizing grassroots responsibility;

c) Direct the effective integration of Programs and projects within their jurisdictions; regularly inspect and monitor Program management and implementation, and maintain annual reporting systems.

3. Mobilize the participation of mass organizations: request the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee and member organizations to participate in implementing the Program; continue operating the "Day for the Poor" Fund; establish savings and credit groups, mutual assistance groups, and credit funds for the poor and low-income individuals; expand effective poverty reduction models.

Article 2. This Decision shall take effect fifteen days after its publication in the Official Gazette.

Article 3. Ministers, Heads of ministerial-level agencies, Heads of agencies under the Government, Chairpersons of provincial and centrally-administered city People's Committees are responsible for enforcing this Decision..