(VOVworld)- Despite economic difficulties and limited resources in 2013, Vietnam’s social security was ensured, witnessing several improvements. The government managed to allocate sufficient resources to poverty reduction programs and social policies.

In 2013 Vietnam consistently pursued policies for social beneficiaries, poverty reduction, and job generation contributing to ensuring social stability. In regard to social welfare, authorities at all levels and in all sectors continued to pay special attention to the elderly, the disabled and people in remote and mountainous areas.

Remarkable achievements

According to the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs, in 2013, Vietnam managed to maintain a poverty reduction rate of between 1.7% and 2% - 4% in the poorest districts. Last year more than 1.5 million jobs were created. Localities and enterprises sent nearly 90,000 workers overseas, 10% more than in previous years. The promotion of social security policies and the increase of the minimum wage in the beginning of the year contributed to improving people’s living conditions.

Several achievements were recorded in labor safety and hygiene, social welfare, social insurance policies, unemployment insurance, vocational training, child care and child protection. By the end of last year, the number of people with social and health care insurance totaled 60 million, 4.6% more than the previous year. Nguyen Thi Thanh Hoa is a National Assembly deputy from Bac Ninh province.“We obtained remarkable and significant achievements in 2013. More attention was paid to social security and people’s lives have much improved. The rate of insured individuals and social beneficiaries increased. Several policies were put in place to support education and food for poor and ethnic minority students. Public health improved, the health care network was expanded and the quality of health care treatment improved”.

Deputy Minister of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs Nguyen Trong Dam says:“These achievements were thanks to the National Target Program which integrated the national poverty reduction program 135, and the poverty reduction programs for 61 poorest districts and disadvantaged communes in coastal and island areas. This integration facilitated the government’s management of social programs. We also put in place several policies for near-poor and newly-escaped from poverty households to ensure sustainable poverty reduction.”

Major challenges

Despite Vietnam’s remarkable achievements in social security, major challenges remain due to a big gap between the rich and the poor. The poverty rate in remote and ethnic minority areas remains high, and shortcomings are still reported in the health care and education sectors. Mr. Dam again.“The poverty reduction is not sustainable because the number of households close to the poverty line is large. So the gap between the poor and those just above the poverty line is not much. Most disadvantaged and ethnic minority areas are poor. Tens of thousands of households escape poverty each year but many of them return to poverty due to natural disasters. It is very difficult to  raise donations for poverty reduction from international sources because many foreign donors have changed their priority to other countries”.

Based on 2013’s achievements, in 2014, Vietnam continues to pay attention to designing social policies for target groups and localities and promoting public participation.