No one left behind due to capital lack

“The comprehensive viewpoint of our Party and State identifies people as the center and the resource of development. Therefore, in all circumstances, we must do a good job of social security, especially the poor, vulnerable groups, people living in remote areas, border and island".

Duong Quyet Thang, General Director of VBSP visited Ms. Thi Thao’s family (born in 1988, Raglai ethnic group in Xom Bang village, Bac Son commune, Thuan Bac district); her family borrowed money from VBSP to develop family economy. Currently, she has a stable source of income

The Prime Minister's message at the Conference of summarizing the work in 2023 and implementing the tasks in 2024 is a guideline for the VBSP’s activities in the past years. In particular, in 2023, with the goal of "Not leaving anyone behind due to lack of capital", VBSP not only lends correctly and sufficiently but also integrates credit with local economic development policies, supporting the poor and policy beneficiaries to overcome themselves, develop the economy, and stabilize their lives.

Na Ta village - the most disadvantaged village of Thuong Nong - the poorest commune of poor Na Hang district. In recent years, the flat concrete road has considered as a path for economic development in the future. Trade is favorable, many families boldly access policy capital and create sustainable livelihoods.

Mr. Nguyen Van Da's family (in Na Ta village, Thuong Nong commune) borrowed money for cow breeding

In 2023, he boldly borrowed VND 100 million from VBSP to expand the breeding herd to 10 cows. Currently, his family has a stable source of income and build a new and spacious house next to Nam Ta stream.

Ethnic minorities in Na Ta are clearly aware of the way out of poverty through knowledge. Mr. Hoang Van Minh's household (Tay ethnic group, born in 1966) is a typical borrower for VBSP’s program of lending to disadvantaged students to take care of his 4 children's studies, of which 3 children are studying at university, one child attended college, has now graduated and has a stable job. Even after completing the course at the University of Agriculture, Ms. Nguyen Thi Vui - his first daughter, works at the Forestry Investigation and Planning Center of Tuyen Quang province under the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Tuyen Quang, continues to orient to help villagers develop forestry economy.

In 2023, loan revenue reached VND 70 billion with 1,136 households. Up to now, the total outstanding loan for poor households in Na Hang district has reached VND 350 billion. From these capital sources, many models of animal husbandry and farming have been implemented effectively, helping 3,500 households get out of poverty in 2023, bringing the poverty rate decrease rapidly from 40.76% in 2022 to 32.61% by the end of 2023 (decrease by 8.15%); the rate of near-poor households reduces from 13.64% in 2022 to 10.45% by the end of 2023; making an important contribution to promoting socio-economic development, ensuring social security and maintaining political security, social order and safety in the area.

The Government's policy credit has been methodically deployed by VBSP during 21 years to all regions of Vietnam, supporting millions of poor households to develop their economy, improve their quality of life

In disadvantaged areas like Na Hang, policy resource has been promptly transferred to 100% of the poor and ethnic minorities in villages and hamlets. VBSP effectively implemented the motto "Not leaving anyone behind due to lack of capital"!

As of December 31, 2023, local capital entrusted to VBSP has increased by VND 8,573 billion compared to 2022, bringing the total local entrusted capital to VND 39,174 billion; the balance of the Vietnam Fatherland Front's Fund "For the Poor" deposited at VBSP has been VND 320 billion.

Looking at the overall policy credit of the whole year 2023, the total loan turnover of the entire VBSP system reached VND 108,044 billion with 2,218 thousand poor households, near-poor households and other policy beneficiaries receiving loans. By December 31, 2023, total policy credit balance has reached VND 331,924 billion, an increase of VND 48,576 billion (+17%) compared to 2022 with more than 6.8 million active borrowers.

Social policy credit resource has supported production and business, created jobs for over 790 thousand workers, including nearly 8.6 thousand workers working abroad for a limited time and over 2,600 people completing their prison sentence and have a stable job; helped nearly 97 thousand disadvantaged students borrow study loans; built over 1,435 thousand works of safe water and sanitation in rural areas; built 1,383 houses for poor households, more than 15 thousand social houses for low-income groups, contributing to stabilizing and developing the economy, ensuring social security, and successfully implementing the mission preferential credit investment in national target programs for sustainable poverty reduction, new rural construction, and socio-economic development in ethnic minority and mountainous areas.

These achievements make poverty reduction work continue to be a bright spot, highly appreciated internationally in 2023 with the rate of poor households according to the multidimensional poverty standard decreasing by 1.1%. This is also the fulcrum for all officers of the entire VBSP system to make more efforts and enthusiasm in the upcoming policy credit journey.

Viet Hai