Bac Lieu Province Close to Eliminating Poverty

Bac Lieu Province has reduced its poverty rate significantly by taking a number of effective measures, according to its Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs. The Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta province has enabled more than 28,000 households to escape poverty since 2016, thus reducing the poverty rate from 15.5% to 1.24% now. It now has only 2,776 poor households. The poverty rate is expected to reduce further to 0.5% by the end of this year. In the last five years the province has invested more than VND2.1 trillion ($91.2 million) in poverty elimination efforts, and effectively implemented various policies, programs and models to support poor households. One of the models, which involves Party members and government workers helping poor households, has enabled many of them to escape poverty. They provide them with inputs for production and teach them production techniques, and introduce jobs. The province has built nearly 5,000 houses for poor families since 2016. It has also focused on teaching poor people vocational skills and providing them with jobs, and carrying out advocacy activities to motivate them to escape poverty. Nguyen Thi Mong Nghi of Phuoc Long District’s Phuoc Tho Commune, who used to be poor, was given a soft loan worth VND30 million ($1,300) to learn tailoring and open a tailor’s shop in her house. She now earns around VND6 million ($260) a month, which is well above the poverty threshold. “To escape poverty, poor people have to be determined to do so and work hard. It is important to create their own jobs and have stable incomes, and use loans effectively.” Tran Thanh Thuan of Bac Lieu’s city Hiep Thanh Commune was supported by Luong Van Dau, a Party member and tax official in the city, with money to buy seedlings to plant in his family’s 3,000sq.m field and instructed his family farming techniques for growing the crop. Dau also helped Tuan find a job. “Thanks to the support, my family has escaped poverty,” Tuan said. Speaking at a seminar held last Thursday, deputy chairman of the province People’s Committee, Vuong Phuong Nam, said to implement the task of reducing poverty more effectively in future, poverty reduction programs should be implemented more actively and responsibly by province officials. The Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs in co-operation with other relevant agencies should identify detailed targets, measures and resources to implement the task of alleviating poverty, he added. (Vietnam News)