PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc at the event (Source:VNA).

The event was in response to the Month for the Poor (October 17 – November 18) launched by the Prime Minister.

Speaking at the event, PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc said the Party and State have paid special attention to poverty reduction over the past 72 years.

The country now has more than 1.9 million poor households, 1.3 million of which need assistance in housing, education, vocational training and livelihoods, particularly those living in remote, mountainous and disaster-prone areas, he said.

The leader added that the Party and State aim to reduce poor households nationwide by 1-1.5 percent annually and fulfill goals set in the United Nations Agenda for Sustainable Development 2030. The government will also continue with the national target programme on sustainable poverty reduction and new rural construction.

He took the occasion to call on people nationwide to join hands for the poor. The PM also expressed his wish to receive support from individuals and organisations at home and abroad for the efforts.

Participants also responded to the text messaging campaign “For the Vietnamese Poor 2017” launched by the Ministry of Information and Communications.

President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee Tran Thanh Man said businesses, units, foreign organisations and Vietnamese nationals abroad donated more than 13.4 trillion VND to the “For the Poor” fund and more than 36.21 trillion VND to local social welfare programmes.

In collaboration with local authorities, the VFF Central Committee built over 1.4 million charity houses for poor households and assisted millions of poor families with production materials and welfare works.

Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh municipal Party Committee Nguyen Thien Nhan, former President of the VFF Central Committee, shared his memories about supporting the poor.

On the occasion, individuals and organisations provided 284 billion VND to “For the Poor” fund.

The organising board also displayed products made by the poor in the two cities.

Source: VNA