Mid-year CG Meeting: Promoting Poverty Reduction, Disaster Mitigation

To see first-hand the investment situation and how the operational efficiency of projects benefited from foreign-funded programmes, the Organisation Board took delegates to visit development projects in Quang Tri province: Norway People Foundation-funded environment restoration and war consequence settlement; Japan International Cooperation Agency-funded Ho Xa, Vinh Tu and Vinh Thai roads in Vinh Linh district; and Asian Development Bank-funded Nam Thach Han water system restoration, upgrading and safety guarantee project.

 

In his opening speech, Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai appreciated international donors’ support for the development of Vietnam’s central provinces in poverty reduction, infrastructure development and natural disaster mitigation and expected further support for sustainable poverty reduction. He affirmed that Vietnam uses such assistance efficiently and transparently. He added that through dialogues with international donors, international organisations, and localities about poverty alleviation and natural disaster mitigation, the Government will draw practical and effective policies for economic development.

 

Minister of Planning and Investment Bui Quang Vinh said, “We have identified major issues affecting the implementation of policies and guidelines of the central government on poverty reduction and disaster mitigation, to propose additional recommendations on policies and guidelines of the central Government for implementation in provinces, and proposals for improving coordination, integration and effective implementation of donor and NGO assistance in the process of poverty reduction and disaster mitigation in the provinces.”

 

Ms Victoria Kwakwa, Country Director for the World Bank in Vietnam, spoke highly of Vietnam’s poverty reduction in the past time and pledged efforts with the international community to continue support for Vietnam in the coming time. She said the meeting witnessed changes towards an enhancement of open dialogues between the Government, local authorities and donors to help the Government of Vietnam have a more practical and objective view on poverty reduction, as well as economic development.

 

Mr Nguyen Duc Cuong, Chairman of Quang Tri Provincial People's Committee, said: Like other central provinces, Quang Tri began from a very low starting point and people's lives were difficult. Poverty reduction has brought much progress but it lacks sustainability and the poverty rate is still higher than the country’s average. The province is also vulnerable to climate change, natural disasters, flooding, drought, salinity intrusion, land depression and erosion of river banks and sea coast. He stressed: “This is a great opportunity to enhance understanding, sharing and dialogue between donors, central agencies and localities, through which we will jointly launch initiatives, cooperation programmes and joint action solutions as well as facilitate the building of support orientations for provinces in the region appropriately, effectively and realistically. These will facilitate the stronger development of provinces in the region in the future.”

 

Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai showed the Government of Vietnam’s commitment to improving living conditions for the poor in the province as well as other provinces in the region, and narrowing the income gap in the province and other provinces in the region. In the coming time, the Government will strive to bring poverty rate in the central region to below 10 percent from the current 22 percent.\