The program took place in Hanoi-based Cultural Palace and Ho Chi Minh City-based Hoa Binh theater with the participation of Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, Deputy Prime Minister Trung Hoa Binh, Party Chief in Ho Chi Minh City Nguyen Thien Nhan and other leaders from agencies.
President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee Tran Thanh Man said activities to raise fund for the poor have had outstanding achievements. During 17 years, businesses, foreign organizations and Vietnamese nationals abroad have donated more than VND13.4 trillion ($589,857,867) to the fund for the poor. Moreover, they have given more than VND36.21 trillion to local social welfare program.
Thanks to their contribution, the VFF Central Committee at all levels in collaboration with local authorities have built over 1.4 million charitable houses for poor households and offered tens of millions of poor families with production materials.
Speaking at the event, PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc confirmed the Party and the government have taken special heed to poverty alleviation over the past 72 years. The rate of poor households dropped from 14.2 percent in 2010 to 5.8 percent in 2016; the country has completed the millennium development goal on poverty and hunger reduction ahead of time praised by international community.
However, Vietnam still has three million poor households and close-poverty households in disadvantaged districts. The Party and state strive to cut 1 - 1.5 percent of poor households by 2030 to fulfill goals set in the United Nations Agenda for Sustainable Development
The PM called for ongoing contribution of people nationwide and abroad, especially he expected people to send text messages to support poor people.
To wrap up the event, PM Phuc and participants responded text messaging campaign “For the Vietnamese Poor 2017” through the National Humanitarian Portal 1400 from October 15 to December 31.
At the event, beneficiaries promised to donate VND264 billion .
