Resolution No. 80/NQ-CP on the orientation for sustainable poverty reduction during the period from 2011 to 2020

 

RESOLUTION

On the orientation for sustainable poverty reduction during the period from 2011 to 2020

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Implementing the goal of poverty reduction is a major policy of the Party and State aimed at improving the material and spiritual life of the poor, contributing to narrowing the gap in living standards between rural and urban areas, among regions, ethnic groups, and community groups; at the same time demonstrating the determination in implementing the Millennium Development Goals of the United Nations that Vietnam has committed to.

In recent years, focusing on successfully implementing the Strategy for Socio-Economic Development and poverty reduction programs has created conditions for the poor to access basic social services more effectively; infrastructure in poor districts and communes has been strengthened; the lives of the poor have significantly improved, the national poverty rate has decreased from 22% in 2005 to 9.45% in 2010. The achievements in poverty reduction in our country over this period have been recognized and highly evaluated by the international community.

However, the results of poverty reduction have not yet been truly sustainable, the number of households that have escaped poverty but whose income levels remain close to the poverty threshold is still large, the annual rate of households falling back into poverty remains high; the wealth-poor gap between regions and community groups is still quite significant, the lives of the poor generally still face many difficulties, especially in mountainous areas, highland regions, and ethnic minority communities.

The situation above is primarily due to the country's difficult conditions, so although the State always allocates substantial resources for poverty reduction, it still cannot meet the needs; additionally, some poverty reduction programs and policies are not synchronized, still have short-term characteristics, lack close integration; management mechanisms, guidance, and implementation of poverty reduction goals in some places are not thorough enough. Furthermore, a portion of the poor still have a dependent mentality, are not proactive and active in escaping poverty.

To create new changes in poverty reduction work in the future, the Government resolves on the orientation for sustainable poverty reduction during the period from 2011 to 2020 as follows:

I. OBJECTIVES

1. General objectives:

Sustainable poverty reduction is a focus of the Socio-Economic Development Strategy 2011-2020 aimed at improving and gradually enhancing the living conditions of the poor, particularly in mountainous areas and ethnic minority communities; creating strong and comprehensive changes in poor regions; narrowing the gap in living standards between urban and rural areas, among regions, ethnic groups, and community groups.

2. Specific Objectives:

a) Average per capita income of poor households increases by 3.5 times; the national poverty rate decreases by 2% per year, specifically in poor districts and communes by 4% per year according to the poverty standard of each stage;

b) The living conditions of the poor improve significantly, first and foremost in healthcare, education, culture, drinking water, housing; the poor increasingly have easier access to basic social services;

c) Economic and social infrastructure in poor districts, poor communes, and particularly difficult hamlets and villages are concentrated investments in synchronization according to the criteria of new rural areas, first and foremost essential infrastructure such as transportation, electricity, and drinking water.

II. OBJECTS AND SCOPE

1. Objects: Poor people and poor households throughout the country; prioritizing ethnic minority poor people, elderly people, disabled people, women, and children.

2. Areas:

a) Poor district;

b) Poor commune, including:

- Particularly difficult communes in ethnic minority and mountainous areas;

c) Particularly difficult hamlets and villages in mountainous areas inhabited by ethnic minorities not included in the poor communes stipulated in point a and point b of Clause 1 of this Article (hereinafter referred to as particularly difficult hamlets and villages).

- Border communes and safe area communes.

c) Particularly difficult hamlets and villages in ethnic minority and mountainous areas.

III. POLICIES

1. General poverty reduction support policies:

a) Supporting production, vocational training, job creation, and income increase for the poor:

- Creating favorable conditions for the poor to access capital sources, combined with guidance on business practices, agricultural extension, industrial extension, and technology transfer into production; effectively implementing preferential credit policies for poor households, especially those with disabled members and female heads of households.

- Effectively implementing policies for vocational training for rural laborers, especially poor laborers; prioritizing investment in school facilities, equipment, and teacher training for vocational education; linking vocational training with job creation for poor laborers. Expanding the application of preferential policies for exporting labor for poor workers nationwide.

b) Support in education and training:

- Effectively implementing policies for fee exemptions, reductions, scholarships, social assistance, and cost support for educational expenses for poor students at all levels, especially preschool; continuing to implement preferential credit policies for students and college students, especially poor college students;

- Implementing preferential policies and attracting teachers working in difficult areas; encouraging the establishment and expansion of "scholarship funds"; prioritizing investment to achieve school facility standards in poor communes and particularly difficult hamlets and villages.

c) Support in healthcare and nutrition:

- Effectively implementing policies for providing health insurance cards to the poor, supporting the purchase of health insurance cards for those in near-poor households; developing policies to support the poor suffering from serious and critical illnesses. Studying policies to support the provision of nutrition for poor women and children in poor areas;

- Further strengthening preferential policies and attracting medical staff working in poor areas. Prioritizing investment to achieve hospital and health station standards in poor districts and communes.

d) Support in housing:

Continuing to implement policies to support housing for poor households in rural and mountainous areas to improve housing conditions, prioritizing households with elderly and disabled members. Establishing local mechanisms and policies to support housing for the poor in urban areas based on mobilizing community, family, and clan resources. Continuing to effectively implement programs for investing in building housing for low-income individuals.

đ) Supporting the poor to access legal aid services:

Effectively implementing free legal aid policies for the poor, creating conditions for the poor to understand their rights and obligations, actively accessing state assistance policies, and striving to escape poverty.

e) Supporting the poor to enjoy cultural and information benefits:

Implement the program to bring culture and information to the grassroots level effectively; diversify communication activities to help the poor access poverty reduction policies, disseminate effective poverty reduction models, and showcase successful cases of poverty alleviation.

2. Special poverty reduction support policies:

a) Poor households and individuals from ethnic minorities; poor households and individuals living in poor districts, poor communes, and extremely difficult hamlets and villages shall enjoy the following preferential policies:

- Poor households and individuals residing in extremely difficult communes, safe area communes, border communes, and extremely difficult hamlets and villages shall benefit from production support policies, job creation, and income increase according to Resolution No. 30a/2008/NQ-CP dated December 27, 2008 of the Government;

- Poor households in border hamlets and villages not belonging to poor districts during the period when they cannot self-sustain food shall be supported with 15 kg of rice per person per month according to Resolution No. 30a/2008/NQ-CP dated December 27, 2008 of the Government;

- Higher preferential policies on investment levels and interest rate support for poor households in extremely difficult areas;

- Expand the policy of recruiting students from households living in extremely difficult areas;

- Establish scholarship policies for children from poor ethnic minority households studying at universities in extremely difficult areas;

- Prioritize support for community cultural houses, bringing information to the grassroots level, and providing free legal aid to ethnic minority groups in extremely difficult areas;

- Develop conservation projects for small ethnic groups, and settlement projects to support people in extremely difficult areas (rocky mountains, flood-prone areas, frequently affected by natural disasters);

b) Continue and expand preferential policies for poor districts and communes:

- Poor districts:

Continue to effectively implement poverty reduction support policies for rapid and sustainable poverty reduction in poor districts according to Resolution No. 30a/2008/NQ-CP, including: production support policies, job creation, and income increase; education and training policies, vocational training, and improving public awareness; cadre policies for poor districts; investment mechanisms and infrastructure development at village, commune, and district levels;

- Poor communes:

Prioritize investment to complete and meet new rural standards for educational facilities, health stations, and community cultural houses in extremely difficult communes in ethnic minority and mountainous regions;

Prioritize investment to achieve infrastructure standards according to new rural criteria in extremely difficult communes in coastal and island areas, safe area communes;

Expand the military-civilian medical cooperation program; build poverty reduction models linked to national defense security to support production and income generation for the poor in border areas; strengthen border guards' presence in key positions in border communes;

c) National target programs, programs, and projects using government bonds, ODA funds, and other programs must focus their activities and resources on prioritizing investments in poor districts and communes to accelerate poverty reduction progress in these areas.

IV. IMPLEMENTATION

1. The Government shall uniformly manage and direct the implementation of the poverty reduction program. The Prime Minister shall establish a Poverty Reduction Program Steering Committee chaired by a Deputy Prime Minister, with members being leaders of relevant ministries and sectors.

2. The Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs:

a) Serve as the permanent office of the Poverty Reduction Program Steering Committee, assisting the Prime Minister in uniformly directing poverty reduction work nationwide;

b) Develop and submit to the Prime Minister for approval the National Target Program on Sustainable Poverty Reduction for the 2011-2015 period and subsequent periods, including poverty reduction projects and national poverty reduction assessment criteria;

c) Lead and direct the implementation of the project to rapidly and sustainably reduce poverty in poor districts according to Resolution No. 30a/2008/NQ-CP, and in extremely difficult communes in coastal and island areas;

d) Guide and direct the implementation of vocational training, employment creation, and labor export policies for the poor.

3. The Committee for Ethnic Minorities Affairs:

a) Lead and direct the implementation of projects to reduce poverty in extremely difficult communes and hamlets in ethnic minority and mountainous regions;

b) Develop and submit for issuance special policies to support poor households, individuals, and ethnic minority groups in extremely difficult communes and hamlets in ethnic minority and mountainous regions; conservation projects for small ethnic groups, and settlement projects to support people in extremely difficult areas (rocky mountains, flood-prone areas, frequently affected by natural disasters).

4. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development: Develop and submit for issuance mechanisms and policies to support agricultural, forestry, and fisheries production development and income increase for poor households in poor districts and communes; implement the Agricultural Extension Program, support the construction of technology transfer models and concentrated specialized production models towards commercialization to make it easier for the poor to access and participate; guide and direct the allocation of resources from the New Rural Construction Program to prioritize investment in poor communes.

5. The Ministry of Defense: Develop and implement the military-civilian medical cooperation program; poverty reduction models linked to national defense security to support production and income generation for the poor in border communes; strengthen cadres in border communes and islands; mobilize young intellectuals to volunteer in border communes and defense economic zones; assist the people in building new lifestyles, ensuring social order and safety in the area.

6. The Ministry of Planning and Investment: Lead and coordinate with relevant ministries and sectors to develop and submit for issuance criteria for resource allocation for poverty reduction; develop and guide management mechanisms for poverty reduction programs; inspect and evaluate the effectiveness of implementing national target program management mechanisms by ministries, sectors, and localities in conjunction with poverty reduction goals.

Annually, based on approved quotas and criteria, lead and coordinate with the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs, and the Committee for Ethnic Minorities Affairs to prepare plans and submit to the Government for allocating poverty reduction resources to localities, prioritizing those in extremely difficult areas.

7. Ministry of Finance: Guide and allocate funds to implement programs, projects, and poverty reduction policies according to current regulations on the分级管理国家预算的规定和本决议的要求；指导管理和使用实施全国扶贫开发目标计划的资金。

8. Ministry of Health: Take the lead, coordinate with relevant ministries and sectors to study, build, and submit for issuance policies supporting poor and near-poor people in medical examination and treatment; prioritize investment to meet standards for hospitals and health stations in poor districts and communes; study policies to support the provision of nutrition for poor women and children in poor areas.

9. Ministry of Education and Training: Take the lead, coordinate with relevant ministries and sectors to study, build, and submit for issuance policies supporting poor students in education and training; study and build "scholarship funds" in particularly difficult communes and villages; prioritize investment to meet standards for schools and classrooms in poor districts and communes.

10. Ministry of Construction: Take the lead, coordinate with relevant ministries and sectors to study, build, and submit for issuance housing support policies for poor households in rural and mountainous areas; housing support policies for low-income and poor people in urban areas.

11. Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism: Take the lead, coordinate with relevant ministries and sectors to study, build, and submit for issuance policies to bring culture to the grassroots level, prioritizing support for poor people and ethnic minorities to access culture and information, especially in particularly difficult areas.

12. Ministry of Home Affairs: Take the lead, coordinate with relevant ministries and sectors to study, build, and submit for issuance policies to attract young officials and intellectuals to volunteer in poor districts and communes; training and capacity-building policies for grassroots cadres in poor districts and communes; guide criteria for rewarding households, districts, communes, villages, and hamlets with outstanding achievements in sustainable poverty reduction.

13. Ministry of Justice: Take the lead, coordinate with relevant ministries and sectors to study, improve, and submit for issuance legal aid policies for poor people.

14. Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment: Take the lead, coordinate with relevant ministries and sectors to study, build, and submit for issuance land and production land support policies for poor households and poor people in particularly difficult communes and villages; propose solutions to limit the impact of climate change and rising sea levels on poverty.

15. State Bank of Vietnam: Take the lead, coordinate with the Ministry of Finance to build and submit for issuance preferential credit policies for poor households, near-poor households, and ethnic minority households in particularly difficult communes and villages.

16. Other ministries and sectors shall study, build, and submit for issuance mechanisms and policies within their management functions to support poverty reduction.

17. People's Committees of provinces and centrally governed cities shall improve the system of Poverty Reduction Steering Committees at all levels in their jurisdictions; allocate resources prioritizing poor districts and communes; based on the spirit of this Resolution, People's Committees of provinces and centrally governed cities shall study and supplement appropriate policies to support poor households and poor people in their jurisdictions towards the goal of sustainable poverty reduction.

18. Request the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee to take the lead, coordinate with member organizations, direct grassroots associations to organize well propaganda and mobilization work to encourage members and the entire population to participate in poverty reduction campaigns such as the "Day for the Poor" movement; the "All-Vietnam Building Cultural Lives in Residential Areas" movement; building "scholarship funds"; mobilize the implementation of the new rural construction program.

19. Encourage economic groups, state-owned corporations, and enterprises of all economic components to provide support and assistance to poor districts and communes to strengthen essential infrastructure, support development linkages, technology transfer; provide free vocational training and employ poor workers to increase income for poor households, contributing to rapid and sustainable poverty reduction.

20. Promote the responsibility of the community and clans to support poor people and enhance the self-reliance of poor people themselves.

21. Mass media have the responsibility to publicize and disseminate the Party and State's policies on poverty reduction work.