Decision No. 1722/QD-TTg dated September 02, 2016 of the Prime Minister on approving the national target program for sustainable poverty reduction during 2016 - 2020

THE PRIME MINISTER

Decision No. 1722/QD-TTg datedSeptember 02, 2016 of the Prime Minister onapproving the national target program for sustainable poverty reduction during 2016 - 2020

Pursuant to the Law on organization of the government dated June 19, 2015;

Pursuant to the Law onpublic investment dated June 18, 2014;

Pursuant to the Law onstate budget dated December 16, 2002;

Pursuant to theResolution No.76/2014/QH13dated June 24, 2014 of the National Assembly on promoting sustainable poverty objectives until 2020;

Pursuant to the Resolution No. 100/2015/QH13 datedNovember 12, 2015of the National Assembly ongiving approval for investment policies for executing National target programs during 2016 – 2020;

Pursuant to the Resolution No. 30a/2008/NQ-CP datedDecember 27, 2008 by the Government on the rapid and sustainable poverty reduction program for 61 poor districts;

Pursuant to the Resolution No. 80/NQ-CP datedMay 19, 2011 by the Government on orientation to the sustainable poverty reduction during 2011 - 2020;

In consideration of the requests of Minister of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs and the State Assessment Council for verification of the report on study on feasibility of the national target program of sustainable poverty reducing during 2016 – 2020,

DECIDES:

Article 1.The national target program for sustainable poverty reduction during 2016 - 2020is approved with the following main contents:

1.Name of the Program and the Program management agency:

a) Name of the Program:The national target program for sustainable poverty reduction during 2016 - 2020(hereinafter referred to as the Program).

b) The Program management agency: Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs

2.The Program’s objectives:

a) General objectives: Achieve sustainable poverty reduction objectives and prevent poverty relapse; make contribution to the economic growth, guaranteesocial securitybenefits, improve the life, increase income of people, especially people in poor regions, facilitate the poor and poor households in accessing basic social services (health, education, housing,tap water, hygiene and access to information), and make contribution to the achievement of poverty reduction goal during 2016 – 2020 under the National Assembly’s Resolution.

b) Specific objectives

-Reduce the rate of poor households nationwide about 1% - 1.5%/year (particularly, reduce the rate of poor districts and communes about 4%/year, and that of poor households in ethnic minority areas about 3% - 4%/year) according to the poverty line by the multidimensional approaching methods employed during 2016 – 2020;

-Improve economic conditions and the quality of life of the poor, make the per capita income of poor households nationwide increase 1.5 times by 2020 in comparison with that at the end of 2015 (especially, that of poor households in poor districts/communes/hamlets, and that of poor households in ethnic minority areas must be increased 2 times);

-Implement poverty reduction policies in a consistent and effective way in order to improve living conditions and increase the capacity for accessing basic social services for the poor;

-Make consistent investment in economic - social infrastructure in poor districts/ communes/ hamlets according to new rural area criteria; firstly, make investment in basic infrastructure such as traffic system, schools, health facilities, small-scale irrigational works andtap waterworks; facilitate people in participating in the Program’s activities to increase their income by providing them jobs for the purpose of promoting efficiency of invested infrastructural works, minimizing natural disaster risk, responding to the climate change and improving the market access.

c) Major goals should be achieved by 2020

-Strive to make 50% of poor districts, 30% of extreme difficulty-hit communes in alluvial and coastal regions and on islands and 20 – 30% of extreme difficulty-hit communes/hamlets in ethnic minority and mountainous areas overcome extreme difficulties under the Resolution No.30a/2008/NQ-CP.

-Make investment in infrastructure to serve the production development and the people’s livelihood in districts/communes/hamlets under the Program in conformity with the residential area planning and production planning for effectively serving the life and production development of people:

+ Make 80% - 90% of communes have asphalted or concrete motor roads to the centers of communes, which must be constructed according to standards and specifications regulated byMinistry of Transport;

+ Make 70% - 80% ofhamlets/ mountainous villageshavefirm arterial roadswhich must be constructed according to standards and specifications regulated by Ministry of Transport;

+ Make 60% - 70% of communes meet national criteria for health; 80% - 90% of commune-level health facilities be qualified for providing medical examination and treatment services with health insurance;

+ Make 100% of communes have preschools, high schools and community learning centers qualified to meet learning demand and disseminate knowledge to people; 80% of communes have school facilities meet new rural area standards;

+ 75% of households will be provided with clean tap water;

+ Invested small-scale irrigational works may meet 75% - 80% of the annual irrigation water need for farming area.

-Make income of households participating in projects on production development, livelihood diversification and development of poverty reduction model increase about 20% - 25%/ year; at least 15% of households shall participate in projects for escape from poverty line every year.

-Provide vocational training and profession-oriented education to about 20,000 workers of poor households, nearly poor households and poor households in ethnic minority areas, among which60% - 70%of workers work abroad.

-100% of officials in charge of poverty reduction tasks in communes, and heads of hamlets/mountain villages are trained in basic knowledge and skills in management and organization of poverty reduction programs/ policies/ projects; participate in formulation and development of community development plans.

-100% of commune-level officials in charge of information and communications tasks are trained to improve skills in propaganda information; 50% of poor communes have outdoor propaganda sites; about 100 districts and 600 communes are equipped with means of propaganda; at least 20 information clusters are established in border areas and trade centers.

-90% of households in poor districts/ communes are accessed or provided with information about policies and laws of the Communist Party and those of the Government; experience in production; the national social - economic development by means of press, publications and other communications products; provide audio-visual equipment to about 10,000 poor households living on islands, poor households in ethnic minority areas and poor households in extreme difficulty-hit communes.

3.Entities and scope of the Program

a) Entities:

-Poor households, nearly poor households and households just escaping from the poverty line nationwide; poor households in ethnic minority areas and women of poor households shall be given priority;

-People and communities in poor districts/ communes;

-Poor districts,extreme difficulty-hit communes in alluvial and coastal regions and on islands; communes in safety zones, border communes,extreme difficulty-hit communes,extreme difficulty-hit communes/hamletsin ethnic minority and mountainous regions under decisions approved by competent authorities;

-Involved organizations and individuals.

b) Scope:

The Program shall be executed nationwide; resources of the Program shall be firstly used to make investment in poor districts/communes (extreme difficulty-hit communes in alluvial and coastal regions and on islands;extreme difficulty-hit communes/hamletsin ethnic minority and mountainous regions, border communes andcommunes in safety zones) andextreme difficulty-hitmountainoushamlets/villages.

4.Duration for executing the Program: from 2016 to 2020.

5.Total expenditure of the Program:

Total expenditure for executing the Program: VND 48,397 billion, mobilized from the following sources:

-Funding provided by central-government budget: VND 41,449 billion (funding for investment: VND 29,698 billion; funding for public services: VND 11,751 billion);

- Funding provided bylocal-government budget:VND4,848 billion (funding for investment:VND3,452 billion; funding for public services:VND1,396 billion).

-Funding mobilized from other legitimate sources: VND 2,100 billion.

6.The Program’s projects:

a) Project 1: Program 30a

-Subproject 1. Investment in infrastructure in poor districts

+ Objectives: Improve critical infrastructure to serve the production and people’s livelihood in poor districts.

+ Entities: Poor districts defined in decisions approved by competent authorities and eligible for speedy and sustainable poverty reduction policies under the Resolution No.30a/2008/NQ-CP.

+ Support contents:

.Roads from districts to centers of communes, and traffic systems in communal regions;

.Works in serve of cultural activities in communal regions, including communal broadcasting stations, cultural houses, community houses, sports centers of communes/hamlets/villages;

.Healthcare works that meet standards;

.Educationalworks that meet standards;

.Works for provision oftap waterto people;

.Upgrade or construction of irrigational works;

.Other infrastructure works as proposed by communities in conformity with customs, practices and needs of such communities, and in consistent with the Program’s objectives and the laws. Works proposed by poor communities and those to serve benefits of the poor and women are given priority;

.Restoration and maintenance of fundamental infrastructure works in poor districts.

+ Assignment:

. Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairsshall lead and coordinate with relevant ministries/ regulatory bodies to instruct the execution of the Project;

.Provincial people’s committees shall instruct Departments of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs to lead and coordinate with relevant departments/ regulatory bodies/ sector authorities to instruct the execution of the Project in provinces; carry out inspection and assessment, and make aggregated reports on the execution of the Project on a periodical or irregular basis.

+ Funding and sources of funding:

Total funding required: VND 18,745 billion. Where:

. Funding provided by central-government budget:VND14,917 billion (funding for investment:VND14,085 billion; funding for public services:VND832 billion);

. Funding provided by local-government budget:VND2,928 billion (funding for investment:VND2,600 billion; funding for public services:VND328 billion);

. Funding mobilized from other legitimate sources:VND900 billion.

- Subproject 2. Investment in infrastructure inextreme difficulty-hit communes in alluvial and coastal regions and on islands

+ Objectives: Improve critical infrastructure to serve the production and people’s livelihood inextreme difficulty-hit communes in alluvial and coastal regions and on islands.

+ Entities:Extreme difficulty-hit communes in alluvial and coastal regions and on islandsunder decisions by competent authorities.

+ Support contents:

.Rural roads in service of the production, business and the people’s livelihood;

.Electricity works to serve domestic activities and production;

.Works to serve cultural and sports activities;

. Healthcarefacilitiesthat meet standards;

.Schools and/or classes that meet standards;

.Fisherman’swharves, anti-flood banks, embankments, irrigationalworks, seawater pump stations for aquaculture and salt making;

. Works for provision of tap water to people;

. Othersmall-scaleinfrastructure works proposed by communities in conformity with customs, practices and needs of such communities, and in consistent with the Program’s objectives and the laws. Works proposed by poor communities and those to serve benefits of the poor and women are given priority;

. Restoration and maintenance of fundamental infrastructure worksin local regions.

+ Assignment:

. Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs shall lead and coordinate with relevant ministries/ regulatory bodies to instruct the execution of the Project;

. Provincial people’s committees shall instruct Departments of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs to lead and coordinate with relevant departments/ regulatory bodies/ sector authorities to instruct the execution of the Project in provinces; carry out inspection and assessment, and make aggregated reports on the execution of the Project on a periodical or irregular basis.

+ Funding and sources of funding:

Total funding required:VND2,148 billion. Where:

. Funding provided by central-government budget: VND 1,648 billion (funding for investment: VND 1,550 billion; funding for public services: VND 98 billion);

. Funding provided by local-government budget:VND 400billion (funding for investmentand development);

. Funding mobilized from other legitimate sources:VND100 billion.

-Subproject 3: Support for production development, livelihood diversification and development of poverty reduction model in poor districts and extreme difficulty-hit communes in alluvial and coastal regions and on islands.

+ Objectives:

.Give support to agriculture, forestry, pisi-culture and salt industry by the way of productions of goods in association with production planning and response to climate change; increase income and improve life of people in local regions;

.Give support to the diversification of non-agricultural livelihood forms, and services in conformity with specific local conditions;

.Develop efficient poverty reduction models; facilitate the poor in accessing policies, resources and markets.

+Entities:

.Workers of poor households, nearly poor households and households just escaping from the poverty line; poor householdsin ethnic minority areasand women of poor households shall be given priority;

.Local groups of households and communities;

.Relevant organizations and individuals;

.Facilitate workers who are rehabilitated drug abusers,HIV/AIDSpatients or returned trafficked women, etc. living in poor households in participating in the project.

+ Support contents:

.Support for production development and livelihood diversification:

Support for development of agriculture, forestry, pisci-culture and salt industry: Provide training and transfer of technologies, plant varieties and breedinganimals, production equipment, materials and devices, fertilizers, cattle-feed, pesticides, veterinary drugs, etc.; The support is given by contracting for forest caring and protection, allocation of forests, and allocation of land for cultivation of production forests;

Support for building farming land: reclaiming, restoring or building terraced fields and rocky crop fields;

Support for development of sectors and services: workshops; machinery and equipment; production materials; providing vocational training,career counseling, introduction of jobs and market access;

Give assistance to enterprises/co-operatives in associating with the poor to develop production, sectors, processing and consumption of products;

Give support to other livelihood diversification activities as proposed by communities in conformity with customs, practices and needs of such communities, and in consistent with the Program s objectives and the laws.

.Development of poverty reduction models:

Develop efficient poverty reduction models in large scale and combined models for development of production, sectors, maintenance, processing and consumption of products between poor households, nearly poor households, communities and enterprises, models for poverty reduction in association with national defense and security; poverty reduction models relating to livelihood shall be given priority in conformity with each region or residential area;

Build and develop employment models by investing in small-scaleinfrastructural constructionsin hamlets/villages to increase income for people; models for combined agricultural and forestry production, and introduction of jobs to the poor in association with forestation and forest protection; models for minimizing natural disaster risks and coping with the climate change.

+ Assignment:

. Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Developmentshall lead and coordinate withMinistry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs, relevant ministries/ regulatory bodies to instruct the execution of the Project. In which,Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Developmentshall instruct the execution of support activities for production development and livelihood diversification, andMinistry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairsshall lead and coordinate withMinistry of National Defenceand relevant ministries/ regulatory bodies to instruct the development of poverty reduction models in large scale;

. Provincial people’s committees shall instruct Departments ofAgriculture and Rural Developmentto lead and coordinate withDepartments of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs andrelevant departments/ regulatory bodies/ sector authorities to instruct the execution of the Project in provinces; carry out inspection and assessment, and make aggregated reports on the execution of the Project on a periodical or irregular basis.In which,Departments ofAgriculture and Rural Development shall directly instruct support activities for production development and livelihood diversification, and Departments of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs shall take charge of instructing the development of poverty reduction models in large scale.

+ Funding and sources of funding:

Total funding required: VND 4,217 billion. Where:

. Funding provided by central-government budget:VND3,937 billion (funding for public services);

. Funding provided bylocal-government budget: VND 230 billion (funding for public services);

. Funding mobilized from other legitimate sources: VND 50 billion.

-Subproject 4: Support for workers ofpoor households, nearly poor households and ethnic minority householdsto work for fixed term abroad.

+ Objectives: Improve the quantity and quality of workers in poor districts, extreme difficulty-hit communes in alluvial and coastal regions and on islands to work abroad on a fixed-term basis in order to create employment, increase income and reduce the poverty sustainably.

+ Entities: Workers of poor households, nearly poor households,ethnics and workers residing for long-term period in poor districts, extreme difficulty-hit communes in alluvial and coastal regions and on islands; unemployed young people, especially young people living in poor households in ethnic minority areas and poor women shall be given priority.

+ Support contents:

.Give support to entities for attending vocational training courses, foreign language classes and profession-oriented education courses to work abroad under contracts; support entities with food expenses, subsistence allowanceand accommodation expenses while they attend training courses; support entities with expenses for health examination, applying for issuance of passports, visas and criminal records for working abroad under fixed-term contracts;

.Improve capacity of officials in charge of leading workers to work abroad under fixed-term contracts and that of propagandists; support consulting activities to lead workers to work abroad;

.Provide consultancy and introduce jobs to workers who returned local regions after their employment abroad.

+ Assignment:

. Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs shall lead and coordinate with relevant ministries/ regulatory bodies to instruct the execution of the Project;

. Provincial people’s committees shall instruct Departments of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs to lead and coordinate with relevant departments/ regulatory bodies/ sector authorities to instruct the execution of the Project in provinces; carry out inspection and assessment, and make aggregated reports on the execution of the Project on a periodical or irregular basis.

+ Funding and sources of funding:

Total funding required: VND 618 billion. Where:

. Funding provided by central-government budget: VND 368 billion (funding for public services);

. Funding provided by local-government budget: VND 200 billion (funding for public services);

. Funding mobilized from other legitimate sources: VND 50 billion.

b) Project 2: Program 135

-Subproject 1: Support for investment in infrastructure in extreme difficulty-hit communes, border communes, communes in safety zones, extreme difficulty-hit mountainous hamlets/villages

+ Objectives: Improve critical infrastructural systems to serve the production and the livelihood of people living inextreme difficulty-hit communes, border communes, communes in safety zones, extreme difficulty-hit mountainous hamlets/villages.

+ Entities:extreme difficulty-hit communes, border communes, communes in safety zones, extreme difficulty-hit mountainous hamlets/villagesunder decisions by competent authorities.

+ Support contents:

. Rural roads in service of the production, business and the people’s livelihood;

.Electricity works to serve domestic activities and productionin mountain hamlets/ villages;

. Communal broadcasting stations, cultural houses, community houses;

. Healthcare facilities that meet standards;

. Schools and/or classes that meet standards;

. Upgrade or construction ofsmall-scaleirrigational works;

. Works for provision of tap water to people;

. Other small-scale infrastructure works proposed by communities in conformity with customs, practices and needs of such communities, and in consistent with the Program’s objectives and the laws. Works proposed by poor communities and those to serve benefits of the poor and women are given priority;

. Restoration and maintenance of fundamental infrastructure works in local regions.

+ Assignment:

.TheCommittee for Ethnic Affairs shall lead and coordinate with relevant ministries/ regulatory bodies to instruct the execution of the Project;

. Provincial people’s committees shall instructagencies in charge of ethnic affairsto lead and coordinate with relevant departments/ regulatory bodies/ sector authorities to instruct the execution of the Project in provinces; carry out inspection and assessment, and make aggregated reports on the execution of the Project on a periodical or irregular basis.

+ Funding and sources of funding:

Total funding required: VND 15,936 billion. Where:

. Funding provided by central-government budget: VND 14,905 billion (funding for investment: VND 14,022 billion; funding for public services: VND 883 billion);

. Funding provided by local-government budget:VND481 billion (funding for investment:VND452 billion; funding for public services:VND29 billion);

. Funding mobilized from other legitimate sources: VND 550 billion.

- Subproject 2: Support forthe production development, livelihood diversification and development of poverty reduction models in large scalein extreme difficulty-hit communes, border communes, communes in safety zones, extreme difficulty-hit mountainous hamlets/villages.

+ Objectives:

.Supportagriculture, forestryand aquaculturebycombining theproduction of goods withtheproduction planning; exploit the potentials and strengths of local regions; make contribution to the reduction of natural disaster risks and coping with the climate change; increase income and improve the life of people in local regions;

.Supportthe diversification of non-agricultural livelihood forms and services in conformity with specific conditionsof each region;

. Develop efficient poverty reduction modelsin large scale; facilitate the poor in accessing policies, resources and markets.

+ Entities:

. Workers of poor households, nearly poor households and households just escaping from the poverty line; poor households in ethnic minority areas and women of poor households shall be given priority;

. Local groups of households and communities;

. Relevant organizations and individuals;

. Facilitate workers who are rehabilitated drug abusers, HIV/AIDS patients or returned trafficked women, etc. living in poor households in participating in the project.

+ Support contents:

. Supporttheproduction development and livelihood diversification:

Supportthedevelopment of agriculture, forestryand aquaculture: Provide training and transfer of technologies, plant varieties and breeding animals, production equipment, materials and devices, fertilizers, cattle-feed, pesticidesandveterinary drugs;support the construction of breeding facilities and upgrade of aquaculture ponds, etc.;

Supportthebuildingoffarming land:improving production land,building terraced fields androcky cropfields;

Supportthedevelopment of sectors and services: workshops; machinery and equipment; production materials; providing vocational training, career counseling, introduction of jobs and market access;

Give assistance to enterprises/co-operatives in associating with the poor to develop production,businesssectors, processing and consumption of products.

Supportother livelihood diversification activities proposed by communities in conformity with customs, practices and needs of such communities, and in consistent with the Program s objectives and the laws.

. Development of poverty reduction modelsin large scale:

Develop efficient poverty reduction models in large scale and combined models for developingproduction, sectors, processing and consumption of products between poor households, nearly poor households, communities and enterprises, models for poverty reduction in association with national defense and security; poverty reduction models relating tothelivelihood shall be given priority in conformity with each region or residential area;

Build and develop employment models by investing in small-scale infrastructural constructions inmountainhamlets/villages to increase income for people; models for combined agricultural and forestry production, and introduction of jobs to the poor in association with forestation and forest protection; models for minimizing natural disaster risks and coping with the climate change.

+ Assignment:

. Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development shall lead and coordinate with Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs,theCommittee for Ethnic Affairs,relevant ministries/ regulatory bodies to instruct the execution of the Project. In which, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development shall instruct the execution of support activities for production development and livelihood diversification, and Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs shall lead and coordinate with Ministry of National Defence and relevant ministries/ regulatory bodies to instruct the development of poverty reduction models in large scale;

. Provincial people’s committees shall instruct Departments of Agriculture and Rural Development to lead and coordinate with Departments of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs, provincial agencies in charge of ethnic affairs,and relevant departments/ regulatory bodies/ sector authorities to instruct the execution of the Project in provinces; carry out inspection and assessment, and make aggregated reports on the execution of the Project on a periodical or irregular basis. In which, Departments of Agriculture and Rural Development shall directly instruct support activities for production development and livelihood diversification, and Departments of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs shall take charge of instructing the development of poverty reduction models in large scale.

+ Funding and sources of funding:

Total funding required: VND 4,037 billion. Where:

. Funding provided by central-government budget: VND 3,742 billion (funding for public services);

. Funding provided by local-government budget: VND 145 billion (funding for public services);

. Funding mobilized from other legitimate sources: VND 150 billion.

- Subproject 3:Improving capacity of communities and grassroots officials inextreme difficulty-hit communes, border communes, communes in safety zones, extreme difficulty-hit mountainous hamlets/villages.

+ Objectives: Improve capacity of communities and grassroots officials inextreme difficulty-hit communes, border communes, communes in safety zones, extreme difficulty-hit mountainous hamlets/villages.

+Entities:Communities andgrassrootsofficials in extreme difficulty-hit communes, border communes, communes in safety zones, extreme difficulty-hit mountainous hamlets/villages:

.Communities: Communal community supervision boards; officials of mountainous hamlets/villages; representatives of communities; group/team leaders; officials of unions/associations; poverty reduction collaborators; groups in charge of restoring and maintaininginfrastructural constructionsin mountainous hamlets/villages;reputablepeople in communities and people; The improvement of capacity ofethnicsand women are given priority;

.Grassroots officials: Improve capacity of officials of mountainous hamlets/villages and communes for the execution of the Program, and of officials in charge ofagricultural extensionand veterinary medicine of mountainous hamlets/villages and communes; the improvement of capacity of officials in ethnic minority areas and female officials are given priority.

+ Support contents:

. Improve capacity of communities and officials in extreme difficulty-hit communes, border communes, communes in safety zones, extreme difficulty-hit mountainous hamlets/villagesfor process and skills for executing the Program and other matters relating to the poverty reduction;

. Improve capacity of communities in extreme difficulty-hit communes, border communes, communes in safety zones, extreme difficulty-hit mountainous hamlets/villagesin order to improve the participation of communities in plan establishment, execution and supervision of communities performing activities of the Program.

+ Assignment:

. The Committee for Ethnic Affairs shall lead and coordinate with relevant ministries/ regulatory bodies to instruct the execution of the Project;

. Provincial people’s committees shall instruct agencies in charge of ethnic affairs to lead and coordinate with relevant departments/ regulatory bodies to instruct the execution of the Project in provinces; carry out inspection and assessment, and make aggregated reports on the execution of the Project on a periodical or irregular basis.

+ Funding and sources of funding:

Total funding required: VND 679 billion. Where:

. Funding provided by central-government budget: VND 579 billion (funding for public services);

. Funding provided by local-government budget: VND 40 billion (funding for public services);

. Funding mobilized from other legitimate sources: VND 60 billion.

c)Subproject 3: Support for production development, livelihood diversification and development of poverty reduction modelsincommunes other than those defined in Program 30a and Program 135

- Objectives:

+Supportthe development ofagriculture, forestry, pisciculture and salt industry in association with generation of employment by producing goods under production planning in order toexploit the potentials and strengths of local regions;make contribution to the reduction of natural disaster risksandcopewith the climate change; increase income and improve the life of people in local regions;

+Support the diversification of non-agricultural livelihood forms and services in conformity with specific conditions of each region;

+Develop efficient poverty reduction models in large scale; facilitate the poor in accessing policies, resources and markets.

- Entities:

+Workers of poor households, nearly poor households and households just escaping from the poverty line; poor households in ethnic minority areas and women of poor households shall be given priority;

+Local groups of households and communities;

+Relevant organizations and individuals;

+Facilitate workers who are rehabilitated drug abusers, HIV/AIDS patients or returned trafficked women, etc. living in poor households in participating in the project.

-Support contents:

+Support the production development and livelihood diversification:

. Supportthedevelopment of agriculture, forestry, pisciculture and salt industry: Provide training and transfer of technologies, plant varieties and breeding animals, production equipment, materials and devices, fertilizers, cattle-feed, pesticidesandveterinary drugs;

. Support the development ofbusinesssectors and services: workshops; machinery and equipment; production materials; providing vocational training, career counseling, introduction of jobs and market access;

. Give assistance to enterprises/co-operatives in associating with the poor to develop production, business sectors, processing and consumption of products;

. Support other livelihood diversification activities proposed by communities in conformity with customs, practices and needs of such communities, and in consistent with the Program s objectives and the laws.

+Development of poverty reduction models in large scale:

. Develop efficient poverty reduction models in large scale and combined models for development of production, sectors, maintenance, processing and consumption of products between poor households, nearly poor households, communities and enterprises, models for poverty reduction in association with national defense and security; poverty reduction models relating to livelihood shall be given priority in conformity with each region or residential area;

. Build and develop employment models by investing in small-scale infrastructural constructions in mountain hamlets/villages; models for combined agricultural and forestry production, and introduction of jobs to the poor in association with forestation and forest protection; models for minimizing natural disaster risks and coping with the climate change.

- Assignment:

+Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development shall lead and coordinate with Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs, relevant ministries/ regulatory bodies to instruct the execution of the Project. In which, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development shall instruct the execution of support activities for production development and livelihood diversification, and Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs shall lead and coordinate with Ministry of National Defence and relevant ministries/ regulatory bodies to instruct the development of poverty reduction models in large scale;

+Provincial people’s committees shall instruct Departments of Agriculture and Rural Development to lead and coordinate with Departments of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs and relevant departments/ regulatory bodies/ sector authorities to instruct the execution of the Project in provinces; carry out inspection and assessment, and make aggregated reports on the execution of the Project on a periodical or irregular basis. In which, Departments of Agriculture and Rural Development shall directly instruct support activities for production development and livelihood diversification, and Departments of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs shall take charge of instructing the development of poverty reduction models in large scale.

- Funding and sources of funding:

Total funding required: VND 842 billion. Where:

+Funding provided by central-government budget: VND 522 billion (funding for public services);

+Funding provided by local-government budget: VND 210 billion (funding for public services);

+Funding mobilized from other legitimate sources: VND 110 billion.

d) Project 4: Communications and reduction of poverty of information

- Objectives:

+ Disseminate information to improve awareness and responsibility of the whole society for the poverty reduction in order to raise the self-reliance for escape from the poverty line and mobilize resources for achieving sustainable poverty reduction objectives.

+ Build and strengthen information systems; improvepropagated information to serve the national political tasks and meet the social demands for information; improve the access to information by people.

- Entities:

+Peopleand communities;

+Involved organizations and individiduals.

- Support contents:

+ Disseminate information about the poverty reduction:

.Prepare and implement communications and information programs relating to the poverty reduction;

.Organize and develop the network of propagandists andspeakerson the poverty reduction from central to local governments;

.Organize talks on poverty reduction policies on a regular basis at all levels and sectors, especially grassroots levels;

.Organize communications activities aimed at reducing poverty under the form of stage to promote the exchange and sharing of experience between mountainous hamlets/ villages, communes and districts about the execution of Program;

.Develop activities of the poverty reduction portal.

+ Reducing poverty of information:

.Provide training in professional skills and practices to officials in charge of local information and communications, especially officials of communes, and mountainous hamlets/ villages;

.Support the production, edition, broadcasting, transmission, retention and promotion of journalistic products, information products with journalistic characteristics, radio and television programs, publications and other information products in order to disseminate policies and guidelines of the Communist Party, and the Government’s policies and laws, and disseminate typical examples, experience and other necessary information;

.Provide audio – visual equipment to poor households on islands, in ethnic minority areas, and in extreme difficulty-hit communes;

.Provide with operational facilities to perform propaganda activities in districts and communes;

.Establish outdoor fixed propaganda sites;

.Provide contents of propaganda programs to local information teams;

.Support the establishment of local information clusters at border areas and trade centers.

- Assignment:

+Ministry of Information and Communications shall lead and coordinate with Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs, relevant ministries/ regulatory bodies to instruct the execution of the Project. In which, Ministry of Information and Communications shall instruct theperformance of activities to reduce the poverty of information, and Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs shallinstruct the performance of communications activities concerning the poverty reduction;

+Provincial people’s committees shall instruct Departmentsof Information and Communicationstolead and coordinate withDepartmentsof Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs, relevant ministries/ regulatory bodies to instruct the execution of the Projectin provinces;carry out inspection and assessment, and make aggregated reports on the execution of the Project on a periodical or irregular basis. In which,Departmentsof Information and Communications shall instruct the performance of activities to reduce the poverty of information, andDepartmentsof Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs shall instruct the performance of communications activities concerning the poverty reduction.

- Funding and sources of funding:

Total funding required: VND 600 billion. Where:

+Funding provided by central-government budget: VND 500 billion (funding for investment: VND 41 billion; funding for public services: VND 459 billion);

+ Funding provided by local-government budget: VND 50 billion.

+ Funding mobilized from other legitimate sources: VND 50 billion.

dd) Project 5: Improvement of capacity, and supervision and assessment the Program s execution

- Objectives:

+ Improve capacity of officials in charge of poverty reduction at all levels.

+ Set up consistent and comprehensive supervision and assessment systems to meet managing requirements of the Program.

- Entities:

+ Improvement of capacity:Officials in charge of poverty reduction at all levels (officials of mountainous hamlets/villages,representatives of communities,group/team leaders,officials of unions/associations,poverty reduction collaboratorsandreputable people).The improvement of capacity offemale officialsare given priority;

+ Supervision and assessment of the Program’s execution: the program in-charge agencies, agencies in charge of projects/subprojects and officials who are assigned to take charge and organize the supervision and assessment thereof;

+ Involved organizations and individiduals.

- Support contents:

+ Prepare documents and provide training and improvement courses in knowledge and skills to officials in charge of poverty reduction;

+ Organize domestic and overseas training courses and/or experience exchange; organize seminars and/or conferences on poverty reduction;

+ Prepare the Program’s results framework, including the system of objectives and/or criteria for assessing the implementation results of policies, programs and projects on multidimensional poverty reduction; set up a detailed supervision and assessment system and the system of templates of reports and/or information collection mechanism; reporting contents and mechanism; methods of using information of the supervision and assessment system for management and implementation;

+ Inspect and evaluate the implementation of policies, programs and projects on poverty reduction on a periodical, annual or irregular basis (where necessary);

+ Check poor households and nearly poor household annually; carry out survey and assessment at the beginning, middle and end of period at all levels;

+ Set up database system and software for managing poverty reduction data at all levels.

- Assignment:

+Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs shall lead and coordinate with relevant ministries/ regulatory bodies to instruct the execution of the Project;

+Provincial people’s committees shall instruct Departments of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs to lead and coordinate with relevant departments/ regulatory bodies/ sector authorities to instruct the execution of the Project in provinces; carry out inspection and assessment, and make aggregated reports on the execution of the Project on a periodical or irregular basis.

- Funding and sources of funding:

Total funding required: VND 575 billion. Where:

+ Funding provided by central-government budget: VND 331 billion (funding for public services);

+ Funding provided by local-government budget: VND 164 billion (funding for public services);

+ Funding mobilized from other legitimate sources: VND 80 billion.

7.Main solutions for executingthe Program:

a) Propaganda: Improve the propaganda of poverty reduction objectives to all levels, sectors, residential classes and the poor in order to make change in their awareness about the poverty reduction, raise the poor’s wish to escape from the poverty line, adopt and implement policies and support from the Government, and support of communities in an effective way for escaping from the poverty line; launch the movement “Cảnước chung tay vì người nghèo”(The nation-wide support for the poor); respect enterprises and/or individuals for their contribution of resources or effective measures for sustainable reduction of poverty.

b)Capital mobilizationmechanism: Diversify sources of capital to execute the Program and ensure that capital must be mobilized on a sufficient and timely manner according to the approved structure; improve the mobilization of funding from local-government budget, legitimate contributions by enterprises and assistance from domestic and foreign entities; reciprocal capital and/or contributions by people and/or beneficiaries.

c) Promotion of international cooperation: Promote both multilateral and bilateral cooperation with international organizations, and the cooperation with non-government organizations to share information and experience as well as court their assistance in technologies and resources for achieving the Program’s objectives.

d) Combine general and specific policies for poverty reduction with projects included in the National target program for sustainable poverty reduction in poor districts, poor communes and extreme difficulty-hit hamlets/villages.

dd) Execution mechanism

-Apply reduced specific mechanism to a number of small-scale investment projects with simple technologies. The government shall only provide a part of funding for execution of such projects, the remaining shall be contributed by people who shall supervise the execution thereof;

-Apply lump sum financial support mechanism, divide responsibility and grant power to local/grassroots authorities, and encourage the participation of people during the establishment and execution of the Program. Encourage and expand scope of activities generating employment to workers of poor households, nearly poor households, households just escaping from the poverty line and local people by means of construction of infrastructural projects, projects on production development,livelihood diversification and development of poverty reduction modelsin local regions;

-Implement the mechanism to support the livelihood of poor households, nearly poor households and households just escaping from the poverty line by means of execution of projects approved by competent authorities on the basis of local production planning and/or schemes for change in structure of production; assist poor households, nearly poor households and households just escaping from the poverty line in voluntarily participating in projects through household groups or communities; funding for execution of projects are derived from state budget, loans from bank for social policies, funding for combined execution of policies, programs and projects, and reciprocal capital contributed by households; take back or transfer a part of support ordomestic animals(derived from state budget) in communities in conformity with each project and specific conditions of each group of entities for the purpose of expand project s scale for participation by other poor households, nearly poor households and households just escaping from the poverty line;

-Implement order-placing mechanism with vocational training establishments or enterprises to introduce workers to work abroad; implement order-placing mechanism with press agencies and/or publishers topropagatethe Communist Party’s guidelines and policies, and the Government s policies and laws on poverty reduction;

-Make a consistent combination between mechanisms and processes in projects and subprojects of the Program; determine levels of support and priority according to entities and operating regions and contents;

-Raise self-reliance of people and communities for poverty reduction; adopt community-based approaching methods; improve and facilitate people in participating in the Program’s activities from the identification of beneficiaries to the plan establishment; perform Program’s activities, supervise and evaluate the implementation results for ensuring the openness, explicitness andaccountabilityduring the execution of the Program;

-Central ministries and regulatory bodies: Formulate and promulgate policies; instruct the formulation of annual plans and framework program at provincial level; aggregate national-level plans and provide resources to help local governments gain initiative in accordance with regulated rules, criteria and levels; assign objectives/tasks and allocate funding (including funding for investment and for public services) to local governments; supervise and evaluate the execution of the program; announce the rate of national-level poor households;

-Local governments: grant authority and determine financial support mechanism according to 5-year and annual plans; based on provided funding, local governments shall allocate funding and make 5-year and annual plans for executing the Program in order to solve urgent matters in local regions according to the Program’s objectives/tasks;

-Combine the formulation of 5-year and annual plans for executing the Program and that of annual socio-economic development plan at communal level with the participation of professional officials of communes, organizations, unions and communities. Combine market elements,gender equality, reduction of natural disaster risks and coping with the climate change with the formulation of plans;

-Ministries/regulatory bodies and local governments shall use poverty measuring results by employing multidimensional approach as the basis for determining the order of priority in the Program while taking into accounts the combination with other programs/projects.

e) Human resources for executingthe Program

-The resources for executing the Program include the National Office for Poverty Reduction that assist the Central Steering Committee for the national target programs during 2016 – 2020 and its assistant units in local regions;

-Implement policies for strengthening and assigning officials to work in poor communes;

-Implementincentivepolicies for young intellectuals to work in poor districts or communes;

-Use officials in local regions as poverty reduction collaborators. Provincial people’s committees shall request people’s councils of same level to make decisions on the network, operational structure, functions, duties and policies of poverty reduction collaborators with funding from local-government state budget.

g) Management of the Program

Establish steering boards for managing the execution of the Program from central to local government:

-Steering boards at all levels:

+ Central level: Establish the Central Steering Committee for the national target programs during 2016 – 2020, chaired by a Deputy Prime Minister.Ministry of Planning and Investmentshall be responsible for aggregating the two programs;Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Developmentshall take charge of executing the National target program for new countryside development;Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairsshall take charge of executing the National target program for sustainable poverty reduction; the Committee for Ethnic Affairs and relevant ministries/ regulatory bodies shall be members of theCentral Steering Committee for the national target programs during 2016 – 2020;

+ Local level: People’s committees ofcentral-affiliated citiesor provinces shall establish provincial steering committees for the national target programs during 2016 – 2020, chaired by chairpersons of provincial people’s committees. Departmentsof Planning and Investment shall be responsible for aggregating the two programs;Departmentsof Agriculture and Rural Development shall take charge of executing the National target program for new countryside development;Departmentsof Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs shall take charge of executing the National target program for sustainable poverty reduction;Boards ofEthnic Affairs(or regulatory bodies in charge of ethnic affairs)and relevantdepartments/regulatory bodies shall be members ofsuch steering committees.

-Agencies giving advice or assisting steering committees at all levels:

+ Central level: Strengthen the National Office for Poverty Reduction to assist the Central Steering Committee and directly assistMinisterof Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs– Deputy Head of the Central Steering Committee in managing and organizing the execution of the National target program for sustainable poverty reduction during 2016 – 2020; The Program 135 Coordination Office shall assistMinister, Chairman/Chairwoman of the Committee for Ethnic Affairsin organizing the execution of the Program 135 during 2016 – 2020. The strengthening of assisting offices must comply with the following principles: not increasing payroll, not increasing expenditure; not creating intermediate steps, not increasing administrative procedures; ensuring essential requirements, quickly handling works, monitoring and aggregating the situation for making suggestions in a timely manner;

+ Local level:Chairpersons of people’s committees of central-affiliated cities or provinces shall establishunits to assiststeering committeesaccording to principles and requirements regulated at central level.

8.Implementation:

a) Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairswhich is the Program management agency shall discharge the following duties:

-Lead and coordinate with relevant ministries/regulatory bodies, people’s committees ofcentral-affiliated citiesor provinces to organize the execution of the Program as regulated;

-Lead and coordinate withMinistry of Planning and Investment, Ministry of Finance, relevant ministries/regulatory bodies and local governments to formulate principles, criteria and levels of funding provided by central-government budget and stipulate the percentage of reciprocal capital provided by local-government budget for executing the Program;

-Lead and coordinate with theCommittee for Ethnic Affairs,Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development,Ministry of Information and Communicationsand relevant ministries/ regulatory bodies to instruct the supervision and assessment of the execution of the Program;

-Lead the examination and request the Prime Minister to approve the list of extreme difficulty-hit communes that are entities of the Program in alluvial and coastal areas and on islands;

-Lead and coordinate with relevant ministries/ regulatory bodies to propose to the Prime Minister regulations on criteria for identifying entities eligible for enjoying policies under the Program 30a, extreme difficulty-hit communes in alluvial and coastal areas and on islands;

-Lead the execution of Project 1 and Project 5; monitor, inspect and aggregate results of Program, make reports of the Program’s implementation results on a regular or irregular basis to the Government and/or Prime Minister.

b) TheCommittee for Ethnic Affairsdischarges the following duties:

- Lead the examination and request the Prime Minister to approve the list of extreme difficulty-hit communes, border communes and communes in safety zonesthat areeligible for enjoying policiesof the Program;

- Lead the execution of Project2; monitor, inspect and aggregate resultsof the project, and send reports thereof to the Program management agency for aggregating and reporting to theGovernment and/or Prime Minister.

c)Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Developmentshall take charge of executing the Project 3; monitor, inspect and aggregate results of the project, and send reports thereof to the Program management agency for aggregating and reporting to the Government and/or Prime Minister.

d)Ministry of Information and Communicationsshall take charge of executingProject 4; monitor, inspect and aggregate results of the project, and send reports thereof to the Program management agency for aggregating and reporting to the Government and/or Prime Minister.

dd)Ministry of Planning and Investment:

-Assume responsibility for general affairs of the Program;

-Lead and coordinate with Ministry of Finance to sum up, balance and allocate funding, verify sources of funding of the Program according to the progress and annual and/or medium-term investment plan, and submit reports thereof to the Prime Minister for consideration.

e) Ministry of Finance:

-Lead the verification and allocation of funding for public services of the Program;

-Coordinate with Ministry of Planning and Investment to allocate fundingfor executingthe Program according to the progress and annual and/or medium-term investment plan, and submit reports thereof to the Prime Minister for consideration;

- Lead and coordinate with relevant ministries/regulatory bodiesto check, formulate and promulgate regulations on management and use of funding, statement of expenditures for executing the Program.

g) Responsibilities of relevant ministries/ regulatory bodies:

-Take part in the execution of the Program’s contents within the scope, contents and duties in connection with their managing sectors;

-Ministries/regulatory bodies that are assigned to implement poverty reduction policies under the Resolution No.80/NQ-CPshall be responsible for examining, formulating and instructing the poverty reduction policies in association with their development policies, programs and plans, and instructing, inspecting andexpediting the implementation of such policies at grassroots levels.

h) People’s committees ofcentral-affiliated citiesor provinces

-Organize the execution of the Program in provinces and mobilize other resources for executing the Program’s projects;

- Organize the execution of the Program in provinces and mobilize other resources for executing the Program’s projectsand subprojects;

-Make regular or irregular reports (where necessary) on the execution of the Program;

-Assume responsibility for the proper use of sources of funding in order to ensure that provided funding is used in an effective and thrifty way without loss.

Article 2.Program’s management and implementation

The Program shall be managed and implemented according to Regulation for management and implementation of the national target programs during 2016 - 2020 approved by Prime Minister.

Article 3.This Decision takes effect on the signing date.

Article 4.Ministers, Heads of ministerial-level agencies and the Government s affiliates and Chairpersons of people’s committees ofcentral-affiliated citiesor provinces shall implement this Decision./.

The Prime Minister

Nguyen Xuan Phuc