Impressive poverty reduction results
The achievements on the land rich in revolutionary tradition with the ATK Dinh Hoa National Historical Relic Site have added bright colors to the socio-economic picture of Thai Nguyen, especially in the most difficult places such as remote areas, ethnic minority areas, and former war zones.
With 113 poverty reduction models and projects operating effectively, reaching 205% of the planned target; more than 2,500 poor households receiving housing support; the poverty rate decreased by 3.78%; in the past 3 years, the average annual decrease was 1.26%, exceeding the set plan... proving the consensus of the entire political system in Thai Nguyen province as well as the correctness and practicality of policy credit programs.
Through 177 transaction points in communes, wards and towns; 2,628 Savings and Loan Groups, credit officers of the Social Policy Bank have created the most convenient conditions for the poor to access preferential credit services. Chairwoman of Vo Nhai District People's Committee Bui Thi Sen said that the implementation of Directive No. 40-CT/TW into life is considered a breakthrough in the program of sustainable poverty reduction and new rural construction. Thanks to the positive changes in awareness and actions of Party committees, authorities, associations and unions, policy capital in Vo Nhai has not only grown rapidly but the effect of loan capital has also been effective, providing practical support to poor households and disadvantaged ethnic minority families to develop production and improve their lives.
With the attention and support of the Party Committee, government, business community and people of Thai Nguyen, the staff of the Provincial Bank for Social Policies has persistently and proactively implemented the processes, procedures and methods of granting policy credit, fully and promptly meeting the production and business requirements of beneficiaries of the Party and State's policies.
With the policy of the same capital source, economic development programs were consolidated; the strengths of agriculture and forestry were selected. From urban to rural areas in the former war zone of Dinh Hoa, to the communes in the especially difficult areas of the mountainous districts of Vo Nhai and Dai Tu; the poor and policy beneficiaries all had access to loans for economic development, stabilization, and improvement of their lives.
Leverage to help people escape poverty
In Dinh Hoa district, most poor and near-poor households in remote communes and ethnic minority areas have used policy capital to build many effective production models such as: Raising cattle and buffaloes for breeding, free-range chickens, intensive farming of clean tea gardens... thereby improving economic efficiency, stabilizing income, and escaping poverty.
A typical example is the family of Ms. Nong Thi Thao, Khang Thuong hamlet, Binh Yen commune, who started her business with 50 million VND in policy loans and now owns 5 sao of clean tea, 4 breeding cows, earning hundreds of millions of VND in profit each year. Or the family of Mr. Duong Van Chuyen, Hin hamlet, Yen Do commune, Phu Luong district, is one of the households that has escaped poverty thanks to capital from the Vietnam Bank for Social Policies. Previously, his family's income mainly depended on growing rice and tea, but due to limited agricultural land, life has encountered many difficulties.
In 2020, Mr. Chuyen boldly opened a sawmill with an area of over 200m2 to serve the needs of people inside and outside the commune. After escaping poverty in 2021, his family received a loan of 100 million VND from the Vietnam Bank for Social Policies under the program for newly escaped poverty households. With that amount of money, Mr. Chuyen continued to invest in expanding the warehouse. Currently, the sawmill's income is from 50 - 70 million VND/month.
“Thanks to this capital, my family's sawmill provides jobs for 6 workers with an average salary of about 6 million VND/person/month,” Mr. Chuyen said excitedly.
Not only Mr. Chuyen's family, hundreds of poor and near-poor households in Yen Do commune have also accessed loans from the Vietnam Bank for Social Policies to develop their economy. Up to now, the total outstanding debt in the commune has reached over 30 billion VND, with over 700 households borrowing capital. This can be considered an important economic lever that not only helps people but also helps the locality soon complete its poverty reduction and socio-economic development goals.
In Dong Hy district, meeting the demand for loans and absorbing capital sources of the people, including poor, near-poor and newly escaped poverty households, is quite large. Up to now, the total outstanding loans in the district have reached 574.4 billion VND (an increase of 11.4 billion VND compared to the end of 2023), with a total of 12,472 borrowers. Policy beneficiaries in the area use loans very effectively. Therefore, Dong Hy is one of 12 district-level units nationwide with no overdue debt and no debt suspension.
Head of the Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs of Dong Hy district, Le Thi Thu Ha, assessed that over the past 3 years, along with other programs and policies, policy credit has contributed to reducing more than a thousand poor households, bringing the poverty rate of the whole district to 5.48% and from now until the end of the year, it will continue to reduce about 500 poor and near-poor households.
