Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam has made remarkable p𝔍rogress in ensuring social security during its Doi Moi (renewal) process thanks to the sound leaderꦕship of the Party and State.

The country has recorded significant achievements in implementing the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), especially in eliminating hunger and reducing poverty, and improving living standards. Reducing poverty is an important goal of the Vietnamese Party and State, and the Party maintains its view that economic growth must go together with ensuring human rights and meeting the basic demands of the people. The State’s policies and laws on social development are the result of the Party’s guidelines and the country’s socio-economic development strategies, contributing to ensuring the targets of equality and social advancement. Social polices aim to guarantee the basic rights of the people. The State plays a key role in carrying out social policies and ensuring social security, especially for the poor, the elderly, children, ethnic minority communities and disabled people Social support policies have been implemented and adjusted, and the social allowance rate has increased. Vietnam has escaped from low-income status for the first time in centuries. In 2010, Vietnam was officially listed as a low middle income country with average per capita income reaching over 1,100 USD per year. With the implementation of the National Target Programme on Poverty Reduction and Programme 135 to improve living conditions for rural residents, along with the involvement of the whole political system in efforts to lower the number of poor households, Vietnam has set a good example in poverty reduction and received complements from the international community. Vietnam has realised nearly all the MDGs, especially in poverty reduction. The rate of low-income families has fallen by three quarters, and their average per capita income has doubled. Social policy beneficiaries have also received more support, contributing to sustainable poverty reduction. State budget and external resources (official development assistance (ODA) and non-refundable aid), and support from businesses and individuals have also contributed to the nation’s social security policies. Thanks to investment resources from poverty reduction programmes and policies, the rate of poor households nationwide has fallen by 2 percent per year, from 14.2 percent in 2010 to less than 4.5 percent in 2015, while the rate of poor districts was cut by 6 percent per year during that time, from 58.3 percent to only 28 percent. The Vietnamese population is also better educated and has a higher life expectancy than most countries with a similar per capita income. Despite making stellar achievements in the implementation of social welfare policies, the efficiency of the work remains limited as poverty reduction is unsustainable and gaps between the rich and the poor in terms of income and access to social services are widening. In order to ensure social security, relevant ministries and sectors need to take synchronous measures and full advantage of organisations and partners.-VNA