HCMC, Vietnam’s economic capital and the driver of the southern region’s economy, gives high priority to infrastructure construction to improve people’s living conditions.

Recent construction projects include the Phu My Bridge, the Sai Gon River tunnel, East-West Avenue, and the upgrading of the Nhieu Loc-Thi Nghe Canal.

To deal with city traffic, HCMC is accelerating its flyover project, improving the municipal bus system, and upgrading inner city traffic routes.

Du Phuoc Tan, who lives in Van Kien Street in Binh Thanh district, says: “HCMC has changed a lot. A number of new residential areas have been established. Residential areas are now master-planned with the Phu My Hung residential area recognized as the new urban model, boosting investment attraction and municipal growth.”

Firework display at Sai Gon River tunnel on 2016 New Year celebration. (Photo: VNA)

Many local residents have expressed their satisfaction with the targets set by the city’s Party Congress to make HCMC a more modern city with a higher quality of life.

Le Van Thanh, a resident of district 3, says: “if we don’t have jobs, we will have no income and will become needy. HCMC has a low unemployment rate of a bit more than 4%. Job generation is the key to helping locals and migrant workers enjoy a better life.”

HCMC had an impressive achievement last year, which was to complete its poverty reduction program a year ahead of schedule. By the end of last year there were only 9,000 households with a yearly income less than 720 USD – just 0.5% of the total households in HCMC.

To Dung who lives in Da Kao ward in district 1 has this to say: “I’ve met many people in HCMC who are happy about the sufficiency of food and the improvements to roads, houses, and the urban landscape.”

Since 2016 the HCMC administration has been implementing the sustainable poverty reduction program until 2020 to help the poor access education, healthcare, employment, social insurance, housing, and information to improve their lives.