Life rebuilt thanks to social policy credit

To implement Decision No. 22/2023/QD-TTg dated September 17, 2023 of the Prime Minister on credit for people who have completed their prison sentences (Decision No. 22), VBSP Son Duong district (Tuyen Quang) has urgently coordinated with local authorities and entrusted mass organizations to promote propaganda and quickly bring policy credit to borrowers, helping those who have completed their prison sentences to develop their economy and reintegrate into the community.

Mr. Nguyen Van Thanh (on the left hand) received VND 100 million from preferential loan under Decision No. 22

Ms. Hoang Le Na - Director of VBSP Son Duong District said: The unit has begun implementing the credit program for people who have completed their prison sentences under Decision No. 22 from the beginning of October 2023. Two groups of subjects are eligible for loans: Individuals who have completed their prison sentences and production and business establishments that employ people who have completed their prison sentences. To date, the district VBSP has disbursed the program to 4 households with a total outstanding debt of VND 350 million.

According to Decision 22, people who have completed their prison sentences and returned to their localities, at that time, they comply well with the provisions of the law, do not participate in social evils and need to borrow loan. They will be listed by the commune-level police with confirmation from the People's Committee at the same level sent to VBSP to carry out loan procedures with preferential interest rates as for poor households. The maximum loan level for vocational training is 4 million VND/month/person; Maximum loan for production and business is 100 million VND/person and maximum loan term is 5 years.

Returning to the locality after serving his prison sentence, Mr. Nguyen Van Thanh (born in 1960, Dat Do village, Vinh Loi commune, Son Duong district) spent half of the year struggling to find a direction for economic development. He said that the most difficult thing was money. Without money, he did not do anything.

When he received the information that the Government had a credit package to support those who had completed their sentences, Mr. Thanh boldly registered immediately. Through inspection, Mr. Thanh was disbursed a loan of VND 100 million for a period of 36 months with an interest rate of 6.6%/year. With money borrowing, he built more barns and raised breeding pigs.

Mr. Nguyen Van Thanh said that local people like him who have completed their prison sentence and return to their localities, they would face many difficulties. The credit of VBSP not only created conditions for their economy development but it also gave them strength to rise in life.

As for the family of Mr. Nguyen Quang Phi and Ms. Duong Thi Hoa (Ba Quanh village, Tan Thanh commune, Son Duong district), the loan of VND 100 million just disbursed by VBSP under Decision No. 22 helped Mr. Phi rebuild his life.

With a loan from VBSP, Mr. Phi's family built a barn and bought 4 breeding cows. Having available garden, his family grew grass and corn, creating a source of food for livestock. Having access to the humane policies of the Party and State and the support of the local government, Mr. Phi was very excited and had more motivation to focus on his production and economic development.

According to Ms. Hoang Le Na - Director of VBSP Son Duong District, to continue creating conditions for those who have completed their prison sentences, the Transaction Office will actively coordinate with mass organizations; communes and towns focus on reviewing loan needs and are ready to meet loan needs for cases that need loans, etc.

Mr. Le Manh Cuong - Deputy Head of Son Duong District Police said that by the end of January 2024, Son Duong district had 331 people who had completed their prison sentences. Son Duong District Police determined that implementing measures to ensure community reintegration for people who have completed their prison sentences in the area is one of the four key groups of breakthrough tasks of the district police.

Hoang Hai