Dong Nai to Adjust Standard of Poverty and of Near Poverty

    After 5 years of implementation of Resolution approved by the 8th congress of the provincial party committee, especially Resolution No. 52/NQ-HDND of people’s assembly on national target program of hunger elimination and poverty reduction (in the 2009-2010 period), Dong Nai has reached significant achievements in which rates of poor households quickly decease and living standard of poor households and areas is better improved. However the results in poverty reduction are not really stable. In reality some households pass over poverty standard but their living condition are still in distress; poor repetition  still occurs; the gaps between the rich and the poor, between urban and rural areas tends to increase; the achievements in poverty reduction are considerable but not corresponding to economic growth and development of a key economic province like Dong Nai.

Reasons accounting for the instability of poverty reduction are that current poverty standard is not proper as all kinds of consumer goods get suddenly high. Consequently, many households have income over the standard but they are sill poor in reality. Adjusting standards of poverty and of near poverty acting as the base to synchronically carry out national target program of hunger elimination and poverty reduction so as to promote the poverty reduction achievements in sustainable orientation is indispensable.

    The poverty standard in the 3rd period (between 2009 and 2010) adopted in Dong Nai VND250,000 (US$15.5) for rural areas and VND400,000 (US$24.8) for urban areas. Basing on certain measures of calculation, Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs proposed that poverty standard to adopt with two year (2009-1010) should be VND450,000 (US$27.9) and VND650,000 (US$40.2) for rural and urban areas respectively. Accordingly, the standard of near poverty definitely makes up 120% of poverty standard (equivalent to VND540,000- US$33.4).

    Majority of delegates in the workshop agreed on the said standard. Based on this new standard, total of poor households across the province may reach 450,000 (occupying 10%) equivalent to 225,000 poor individuals. Thereby, total number of nearly poor households may be 200,000, equivalent to 100,000 nearly poor individuals.

    Mr. Huynh Van Toi head of the provincial committee of department of propaganda and training noticed that new poverty standard must meet real demand in society; goals set for poverty reduction should direct toward sustainability, i.e. no poverty repetition and the gap between the rich and the poor is narrowed step by step. Especially, groups of poverty reduction should include subjects in danger of poverty such as HIV sufferers, natural disaster  and pandemic victims and so on.

(Reported by Le Lan, Translated by L.H)