Committee on Ethnic Minority Affairs and VBSP monitors policy credit in Tra Vinh

(VBSP News) On July 17th, 2018, the Committee for Ethnic Minority Affairs and VBSP  organized a mission to monitor implementation of policy credit for ethnic minority people in Thuan Hoa commune, Cau Ngang district (Tra Vinh).

The mission visited 2 households of Ms. Thach Thi Hong Hoa and Mr. Thach Hoai Phong in Soc Chua hamlet, Thuan Hoa commune

The mission included Mr. Do Van Chien, Member of the Central Party Committee - Minister, Chairman of the Committee for Ethnic Minority Affairs; Mr. Duong Quyet Thang, Member of BOD - General Director of VBSP; Mr. Le Ngoc Bao, Member of BOD, Head of VBSP Supervisory Board; Mr. Kim Ngoc Thai - Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee and representatives of local authorities, mass organizations.

Reported to the mission, Chairman of the People's Committee of Thuan Hoa Commune Nguyen Van Hung said that, as of June 30^th , 2018, Thuan Hoa commune is implementing 11 preferential policy credit program with total outstanding loans of VND 25 billion; established 25 Savings and Credit groups through four mass organizations with 1,090 members, of which 825 are minor ethnic households having outstanding loans of VND 12,532 million, accounting for 76% of the total number of borrowing households. Overdue debt is VND 27 million, accounting for 0.1%, frozen debt is VND 75 million, accounting for 0.3%. The balance of savings deposits through SCGs reached VND 958 million.

Social policy credit programs have helped minor ethnic people get used to borrowing money for production and income generation, thereby improving the level of production and capital management. The use of social policy credit has impacts on the change of awareness, helping minor ethnic people to be more confident and gradually increase their status in society.

In the coming time, Chairman Nguyen Van Hung suggested that VBSP increase capital for the commune so that more people can access preferential capital. At the same time, it is expected that authorities at all levels should provide vocational training programs linked to production support; providing guidance on how to do business and create employment opportunities for ethnic minority households.

Representatives of borrowing households, Mr. Thach Hoai Phong in Soc Chua hamlet, Thuan Hoa commune, Cau Ngang district affirmed that capital of VBSP is very meaningful for households in ethnic minority areas and households at the countryside in general.

Mr. Phong's family had borrowed from VBSP and escaped from poverty. "In 2009, my family was a poor household and was given a loan of VND 4 million by VBSP through SCGs to plant 2,000 m2. So far, through many times borrowing from VBSP my family has had a spacious house to live and more than 5,000m2 of land for cultivation. My family life is stable now "Phong said emotionally.

The working session in Thuan Hoa commune

Giving speech at the meeting, General Director of VBSP Duong Quyet Thang highly appreciated the achievements in implementing policy credit programs of Thuan Hoa Commune. Out of over VND 25 billion outstanding loans of the whole commune, VND 12.5 billion is outstanding loans of ethnic minority people, with 825 active borrowers, accounting for 50% of total outstanding loans.

VBSP’s General Director giving brief at the meeting

Loans outstading of programs for the poor, near-poor and newly escaped from poverty households is VND 5.65 billion, accounting for 34.4% of the total Loans outstading. Of these, 284 are minor ethnic households with VND 4.6 billion loan outstanding accounting for 81.9%.

According to General Director Duong Quyet Thang, the above numbers together with the delegation's visit to two typical households in Soc Chua hamlet proved that implementation of social policy credit programs is Thuan Hoa is very effective. Many ethnic minority households have benefited from preferential credit policies of the Party and the State.

Responding to the proposal of Thuan Hoa commune for more capital, General Director Duong Quyet Thang announced at the meeting that VDN 1 billion VND would be supplemented for the commune within this July to lend to ethnic minority people and VND 3 billion to provide loans to poor households, near poor households and households doing business in disadvantaged areas.

"However, with the capital of VBSP, it is expected that the leaders of local authorities and mass organizations would propagandize and guide people to use borrowing capital effectively for production and thereby more households would escape poverty and get rich "General Director Duong Quyet Thang said.

Mr. Do Van Chien, Member of the Central Party Committee - Minister, Chairman of the Committee for Ethnic Minority Affairs at the meeting

Sharing with achievements of Thuan Hoa Commune, Minister, Chairman of the Committee for Ethnic Minority Affairs Do Van Chien said that as directly visiting two households in Soc Chua hamlet, he better knew more achievements of policy credit. He affirms that implementation of policies for ethnic minority people is a strategic focus of the Party and State, including VBSP’s loans which has helped people of different ethnic groups to develop.

On the same day, the mission had a meeting with leaders of the provincial People's Committee and key departments of Tra Vinh province.

As of 30/6/2018, total capital of VBSP Tra Vinh reached VND 2,203 billion, up 116 billion (up 5.57%) compared with the beginning of the year. Total outstanding loans of policy credit programs reached VND 2,198 billion, up VND115 billion, up 5.52% compared to 2017, fulfilling 94% of the year plan with 126,865 poor households, near poor households and policy beneficiaries borrowers. Average debt outstanding is VND 17 million per household.

Overdue debt is low, around VND 6 billion, accounting for 0.27% of total outstanding loans, thus, Tra vinh is the province with low overdue debt in the Mekong Delta.

Chairman of People's Committee of Tra Vinh province Dong Van Lam propse VBSP to allocate more capital to the local in the last 6 months of the poor, especially loans to the poor, near poor households, housing for poor households and clean water, rural sanitation ect,.

General Director Duong Quyet Thang said that VBSP will try to balance the capital to best respond to local proposals. However, the General Director wishes to receive more attention and support from the local authorities on VBSP activities. Along with that, all staff of VBSP Tra Vinh province in 2018 must constantly strive to make the unit achieve excellent title in the region.

Minister Do Van Chien emphasized that in the coming time, the provincial Ethnic Minorities Committee will continue to strengthen its mechanism to help the ethnic minority people achieve better results in the future.

* On the occasion of the 71st Anniversary of Martyrs' Day on July 27, the Committee for Ethnic Minorities and Social Affairs and VBSP presented 62 gifts to injured, sick soldiers and policy families in Thuan Hoa Commune, Cau Ngang district.

 Viet Hai