Hanoi (VNA) –꧑ The poverty rate amonghouseholds in the country is expected to drop to under 6 percent at the end ofthis year from 6.7 percent in 2017, the National Assembly Standing Committeeheard at its 27th session on September 17.

The figure was part of the Government’s report delivered atthe session on the implementation of the National Assembly’s Resolution 76/2014/QH13on promoting the target of sustainable poverty reduction to 2020. The report, presented by Minister of Labour, Invalids andSocial Affairs Dao Ngoc Dung, also said the household poverty rate in poordistricts has decreased at an average 5.43 percent a year, meeting the targetset by the resolution. Poverty relapse has been controlled with a downwardtrend, as shown in the rates of 0.13 percent in 2016 and 0.1 percent in 2017.Ten localities have maintained their record of no poverty relapse. However, the reduction in poverty rate is not sustainable,and the gap among regions and population groups has not been narrowed,particularly that between the northern mountainous and central highland regionsand other regions. Furthermore, despite the rapid reduction of poverty rate inpoor areas, the rate remains at a high level, at 50 percent and even 60-70percent in some especially poor localities. More than half of the poorhouseholds are of ethnic minority groups, and the average income of ethnicminority families is only two fifths of the national average. A report on the issue of the National Assembly’s Committeefor Social Affairs also affirmed that the outcomes of poverty reduction effortsare not sustainable. It said 12 provinces reported a noticeable increase (of0.03 percent or more) in poverty relapse, and the number of households fallingback into poverty is equivalent to one twentieth of those escaping poverty. Atthe same time, for every four households escaping poverty, one new household fallsinto poverty. The rate is even higher in localities hard hit by naturalcalamities such as storms and floods. Many members of the NA Standing Committee noted that therate of poverty relapse is high some provinces with good socio-economic developmentsuch as Kien Giang and Khanh Hoa, which calls for effective solutions. Head of the NA Ombudsman Committee Nguyen Thanh Hai called attentionto the fact that most districts with high rate of poverty are in the northernmountainous provinces such as Dien Bien, Cao Bang and Yen Bai. He questionedwhy the rate of poverty reduction is different among areas despite the samemechanism, policies and resources, and why most of the poor districts are inthe northern mountainous region. Answering the question, Minister Dung said one of the maincauses behind the increase in poverty and poverty relapse is the impact of frequentstorms and floods, with examples like Yen Bai, Lao Cai, Lai Chau provinces, andmost recently Thanh Hoa. Another reason is the division of households to form newones, he said. Participants proposed that the NA and NA Standing Committee ensuresufficient finance for the national target programme on sustainable povertyreduction in 2019 and 2020, and provide additional funding to carry out some urgenttasks in this realm, especially in addressing housing and health care issuesfor the poor, which are essential factors in ensuring social security andorder. NA Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan affirmed that the Statehas never cut budget allocation for social security in any circumstances.However, in order to solve the outstanding problems in poverty reduction, it isnecessary to clarify the responsibility of local administrations in the work, andpinpoint the reason why many households do not want to rise out of poverty, shesaid. The NA leader also stressed the need to multiply effectivemodels in poverty reduction, and promote education campaigns to raise theawareness of both society and administrations about self-reliance in escapingpoverty. Eliminating poverty is the responsibility of the entire politicalsystem, Chairwoman Ngan said, adding that the NA will conduct supremesupervision of the work and a review of the implementation of the NationalAssembly’s Resolution 76/2014/QH13.-VNA