Tuyen Quang Invests $27M in Poor District in Tuyen Quang

The northern mountainous province of Tuyen Quang has decided to invest VND580 billion ($27.26 million) to boost socio-economic development in Lam Binh, one of its poorest districts, for the 2013-2017 period. Of the total investment, VND346.5 billion is from the state budget and the local budget will shoulder VND140 billion, while the remaining will be funded by Government bonds and ODA capital. The project will focus on building necessary infrastructure system for sustainable agro-forestry development and the effective exploitation of the local potential and strengths, thus improving living conditions for local residents, mostly ethnic minorities. The province aims to reduce the ratio of poor households in the district to 50% by 2015, raise per capita income to VND14.6 million per year and VND21 million by 2017, and bring the rate of malnourished children down to below 18% and 16% by 2017. The project will also provide vocational training to more than 4,000 rural laborers and create 18,500 new jobs. (vietnamplus.vn Nov 19)