Donors commit continued support for poverty reduction programme

Source: VNA

The National Committee for Ethnic Minority Affairs and eight donors on July 6 agreed on the partnership framework for the second phase of a development programme for ethnic minority and mountainous communes from 2006-2010.

Under a Memorandum of Understanding signed in Hanoi on July 6, the eight donors - the World Bank, the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID), Irish Aid, the UK Department for International Development, the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), Finland, the Swedish International Development Co-operation Agency (SIDA) and the United Nations Development Programme – have committed to providing US $330 million in addition to technical assistance to the second phase of the programme. The Vietnamese Government will dole out the remaining VND 12.9 trillion (US $809.3 million).

The second phase of the initiative aims to slash the percentage of people living in poverty to below 30% in special disadvantaged regions by promoting the development of production activities and a shift to commercial production, building essential infrastructure facilities and improving the capability of grassroots and community officials in devising monitoring and assessment plans.

The programme is currently benefiting 1,644 communes nationwide.