NGOs pledge US$200 million for socio-economic development in ethnic minority communities
A conference discussing measures to promote investment and assistance for socio-economic development in ethnic minority and mountainous areas was held in Hanoi on December 8, under the chair of Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc.
Deputy PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc calls for more support from both domestic and international sources for socio-economic development in disadvantaged areas in Vietnam. (Image credit: VOV) |
Co-organised by the Committee on Ethnic Minority Affairs and the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations, the event gathered more than 200 delegates from related ministries, agencies and localities, as well as international organisations, businesses, foreign embassies, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) operating in Vietnam.
The conference heard presentations on Vietnam’s socio-economic situation and its policies to attract investment and foreign aid for ethnic minorities. Delegates gave comments on the orientations and measures to implement a project on ‘Strengthening international co-operation in support of socio-economic development in ethnic minority communities’ and a national programme on promoting mobilisation for nongovernmental aid during the 2013-2017 period.
Speaking at the conference, Deputy PM Phuc noted his appreciation of international friends and local partners for their support to Vietnam’s socio-economic development and expressed his wish to continue receiving their assistance and investment, especially for sustainable poverty reduction programmes in ethnic minority and mountainous areas.
The leader stressed that Vietnam has made significant achievements in poverty reduction and improving the quality of life for its people, especially for ethnic minorities, resulting in the poverty rate having declined rapidly, at 2-4% annually.
However, ethnic minority communities in Vietnam are still facing many difficulties with underdeveloped infrastructure, a low quality of labour force, a reduced yet still high poverty rate, and a huge development gap with other regions.
Phuc suggested participants clarify limitations in co-ordination and implementation of development policies and mechanisms in ethnic minority and mountainous areas for timely adjustment.
He proposed addressing problems in attracting resources for upgrading transport infrastructure, improving the effectiveness of poverty reduction and social security work, and enhancing the quality of human resources, in addition to science and technology applications and transfer.
At the conference, NGOs committed to deploy 261 charitable and development support programmes in Vietnam’s ethnic minority and mountainous areas over the next three years with a total budget of US$200 million. Meanwhile, Vietnam’s military-run telecom group Viettel and the Vietnam Joint Stock Commercial Bank for Industry and Trade (Vietinbank) pledged a total aid of US$480 million for 2015.
(Source: nhandan.org.vn)