WB-NA Committee Research Reveals Disparity among Vietnam’s Ethnic Minorities

The World Bank (WB) and the Vietnamese National Assembly (NA)’s Committee for Ethnic Minority Affairs held a workshop in Hanoi on May 21 to announce the research results on factors affecting the socio-economic development of ethnic minority groups in the country, state media reported. According to the study, infrastructure, economic connectivity, market linkages, and opportunities to join the labor market are the main factors that enable certain ethnic minority groups to obtain a higher level of development than others. Other factors include the availability of means of production, access to education and healthcare services, traditional institutions, and local governance, gender relationships, ethnic conceptions, and the ability to access external support. The research also suggested some policies with focus on investment in supporting production and building capacity, accessing the labor market, empowering women in conducting business, and reducing prejudice and social discrimination. From this research, there are opportunities for further improve the agenda to increase social integration by adopting a new approach to the development of ethnic minority areas, said WB Country Director for Vietnam Ousmane Dione. Fifty-three ethnic minority groups currently account for 14.3% of Vietnam’s population, or 14 million people, who are living in 52 provinces and cities. The poverty rate among ethnic minorities is at 23%, which triples the national average. (Bao Chinh Phu, SGGPnews, VietnamNews, Vietnam Plus, QDND, dantocmiennui, Thoi Bao Tai Chinh Viet Nam, The Leader, Cong Thuong, thitruongtaichinhtiente, worldbank)