Helping the poor enjoy a happy Tet

Provinces and cities across the country are distributing gifts to vulnerable groups in society, including the poor, lonely seniors and victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin to help them enjoy a happy lunar New Year festival which begins on February 13.

Ngo Truong Thi, an official of the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MOLISA), says his ministry is making every effort to ensure that people living in poor districts designated under a government programme will have new houses before the Tet holiday.

Under the government programme to support 62 poor districts across the country, nearly 74,000 houses have been built, fulfilling 98 percent of the plan. Of the total, more than 56,000 houses have been handed over to their owners, and workers are putting the finishing touches on the remainder which will be completed by February 10.

Meanwhile, MARD Vice Minister Nguyen Trong Dam says this year the government has drawn up a programme to provide rice to the poor. Provinces and cities have submitted their lists of beneficiaries and the amount of rice needed to MOLISA. The government has instructed the Ministry of Finance to use rice from the national reserve to ensure that no poor person will go hungry during the Tet holiday and the first months of 2010.

MOLISA has made fact-finding tours of provinces and cities, especially flood-stricken localities in the Central and Central Highland regions and remote areas to come up with immediate support plans.

Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, Chairman of the Government Office, says approximately 23,000 tonnes of rice will be allocated to the poor, lonely seniors and social policy beneficiaries in all provinces and cities. Chairmen of municipal and provincial People’s Committees will be responsible for rice distribution, and they will be duly punished if found guilty of irresponsibility or breaking the law.

Vice Minister Dam says, as this Tet for the poor will be hosted by localities and mostly paid for out of their budgets, the localities will have flexibility in carrying out the activity.

The Hanoi Municipal People’s Committee has earmarked nearly VND109 billion to purchase Tet gifts for social policy beneficiaries in the city. Each poor person will receive a gift worth VND200,000, each pensioner a gift worth VND100,000 and any person over the age of 100 a gift worth VND600,000. The city has established four inspection teams to oversee the gift distribution.

In the central city of Da Nang, each household operating rickshaws for a living will be given VND200,000 and each poor household will receive VND200,000-300,000. Every poor individual will also receive 15kg of rice. Lists of beneficiaries and allowances will be made public.

The Red Cross and the Association for Victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho will distribute more than 3,000 Tet gifts valued at VND400 million to the poor and AO victims in its 9 districts. They are encouraging businesses and other donors to provide additional assistance to the victims.
In HCM City, 2,777 households which earn less than VND6 million a year will receive VND500,000 each. In addition, 28,000 seniors over 85 and nearly 15,000 policy beneficiaries will enjoy allowances worth VND400,000 each.