UK Helps Viet Nam with Poverty Reduction, Quality Schooling

Ms Sue Wardell, Regional Director of the Department for International Development (DFID) in charge of North East Asia, has recently announced two DFID financial packages for Vietnam of £20 million for the Poverty Reduction Support Credit (PRSC) and £17 million for the School Education Quality Assurance Programme (SEQAP), a full-day schooling programme.

 

The new DFID-funded schooling programme (£17 million) aims to improve the quality of primary education and help children from disadvantaged groups to access high-quality education. The contribution to the Poverty Reduction Support Credit (£20 million) will be transferred to the Government’s budget, enabling the Government to tackle the most pressing needs, such as mitigating the impact of the global economic crisis.

 

DFID was one the first development partner providing budget support through the PRSC, having started doing so in 2001. In 2006, the DFID Secretary of State approved an allocation of £100 million over five years for the PRSC, with an annual amount of £20 million, subject to satisfactory joint Government/donor assessment of progress in reforms and an annual fiduciary risk update.