10 years of implementing Directive 40 on policy credit.

Ten years ago, on November 22, 2014, the Central Party Secretariat issued Directive No. 40-CT/TW on "Strengthening the Party's leadership over social policy credit." After 10 years of implementing Directive 40, the Party committees and authorities of Hai Duong province have actively participated, channeling policy capital to help people escape poverty.

No one should be left behind.

In early 2013, through the media, Ms. Pham Thi Thiem in Phu Noi village, Binh Dan commune (Kim Thanh district) learned about asparagus, a vegetable with high nutritional value. Recognizing the market potential, Ms. Thiem invested in renovating 8 sao (approximately 0.8 hectares) of her family's land and rented more than 2 acres to grow asparagus. "My family's capital was limited at that time, so we had to manage our resources wisely. Moreover, I was also monitoring the market while working. Fortunately, all the asparagus my family harvested was sold immediately," Ms. Thiem recounted.

From having to carefully manage her finances to grow asparagus, Ms. Pham Thi Thiem has now accessed policy-based credit.

Thanks to capital, Mrs. Thiềm's asparagus field has gradually expanded.

It generates hundreds of millions of dong in revenue and creates stable jobs for many local workers.

By 2015, Ms. Thiem had accessed policy-based credit to expand her cultivation area. At the time, she was quite worried about borrowing from the bank, because if the business didn't go well, where would she get the money to repay the principal and interest? However, with advice from the Kim Thanh District Branch of the Social Policy Bank and the Women's Association of Binh Dan Commune regarding loan procedures, especially the interest rate, she felt she could afford it and borrowed 100 million VND under the employment creation program. "That money has contributed significantly to my family's new development in asparagus cultivation and business. From the initial 3 acres, it increased to 5 acres and then gradually expanded. Now, my family has 10 acres of asparagus cultivation," Ms. Thiem said.

The asparagus farm not only brings Ms. Thiềm hundreds of millions of dong in profit each year, but also helps create stable jobs for 15 workers with incomes ranging from 8-10 million dong per month.

Policy credit funds have not only helped people like Ms. Thiềm stabilize their livelihoods and increase their income, but have also assisted many other disadvantaged cases through various appropriate programs. For example, the social housing loan program that Ms. Nguyen Thi Hue's family in Trai Vuc village, Chi Minh commune (Tu Ky district) benefited from is a case in point. For decades, Ms. Hue's extended family lived in a two-room house with a tiled roof, about 30 square meters in size. "It was cramped and very dilapidated. Sometimes, even when it rained heavily, just a light, prolonged rain, my family had to cover leaks here and there," Ms. Hue recounted.

Thanks to policy-based credit under the social housing program, Ms. Hue was able to borrow 300 million VND to build a new house. "Honestly, if it weren't for this loan with preferential interest rates, my husband and I wouldn't have dared to build a house. Now I have a spacious and clean new house of nearly 100 square meters. Furthermore, my husband and I were able to borrow additional funds under the rural clean water and sanitation program, which allowed us to complete the house. The Lunar New Year of 2024 was our first New Year in our new home, and we were very happy," Ms. Hue shared.

Thanks to the social housing loan program, Ms. Nguyen Thi Hue's family was able to build a spacious and beautiful house.

Ms. Hue also received a loan under the rural water supply and sanitation program.

"Honestly, if we didn't have this loan with preferential interest rates, my husband and I wouldn't have dared to build a house," Ms. Hue shared.

For Mr. Nguyen Duc Hanh's family in Tan Quang village, Quang Khai commune (Tu Ky district), policy-based credit has eased their worries and added to their joy as their children attend university. "After a major business setback, I was left with nothing. The whole family, nearly ten mouths to feed, depended solely on a few acres of rice paddies. My children, out of love for their grandparents and parents, always strived in their studies. Then they passed the entrance exams to Hanoi University of Technology, Hanoi University of Foreign Trade, and the gifted student program at the University of Science, Vietnam National University, Hanoi. I'm happy that they've achieved academic success, but I was worried about how to manage the finances," Mr. Hanh shared.

Specifically for student loan programs, Mr. Hanh's family has borrowed a total of 185 million VND. To date, his family has repaid all loans for his eldest and second children, with a remaining debt of 90 million VND for his third child.

After making a mistake, Chu Van Son from Ngoc Hoa village, Vinh Hoa commune (Ninh Giang district) was sentenced to prison. Having served his sentence, he returned home determined to rebuild his life, but he still harbors feelings of guilt and inferiority.

"Because of the lack of capital, I didn't know how I would make a living at that time. During that most difficult period, my family was able to access policy-based credit under a program for those who had completed their prison sentences. There are truly no words to describe the joy I and my family felt. It was like a brighter future had opened up," Son shared.

With preferential loans and additional loans from relatives, Mr. Son renovated his fields and built a greenhouse covering over 3,600 square meters to grow TL3 yellow-fleshed cantaloupe.

As he walked along, Mr. Chu Van Son from Vinh Hoa commune (Ninh Giang district) introduced his greenhouse for growing cantaloupe.

The cantaloupe variety that Mr. Son grows is TL3, which has a high yield.

After more than 3 months of hard work, Mr. Son has just harvested his first crop of cantaloupe, with an estimated yield of over 10 tons, bringing in hundreds of millions of dong.

"Guidelines" for policy credit

On November 22, 2014, the Central Party Secretariat issued Directive No. 40-CT/TW on "Strengthening the Party's leadership over social policy credit" (Directive 40). A strong determination from Party committees and authorities at all levels, from the central to local, has yielded encouraging results in various aspects of economic , cultural, and social order for the poor in rural areas.

Over the past 10 years, Directive 40 has become the guiding principle for policy-based credit activities in Hai Duong province.

From then on, the Social Policy Bank branch in the province has not only served as a "bridge" for disbursing government credit...

...but it also serves as a "lever" to promote close ties between the Party, the people, and the government in the fight against poverty and for sustainable development.

The Provincial Social Policy Bank, in coordination with relevant units, regularly reviews and strives to promptly disburse credit funds to eligible cases.

Immediately after the Party Central Committee issued Directive 40, along with leading and directing the organization of research, study, understanding, and dissemination of the Directive, the Hai Duong Provincial Party Committee issued many Directives, Resolutions, and Notices to guide its implementation. The documents of the Provincial Party Committee clearly outlined the key objectives and tasks in the implementation of social policy credit in the province.

Accordingly, the goal is that by the end of 2025, entrusted capital from the local budget for lending to poor households and other policy beneficiaries in the province will account for at least 15% of the total capital of the provincial branch of the Social Policy Bank, five years earlier than the Government's Social Policy Bank development strategy.

Difficulties and obstacles in the implementation of policy credit are regularly reviewed and resolved. In addition, provincial leaders regularly pay attention to and direct the allocation of additional entrusted capital at the local level to provide loans to poor households and other policy beneficiaries in the area.

Radiant faces

from effective farming and livestock models

That is the result of relentless effort and determination to rise above poverty.

with support from social policy credit funds.

After 10 years of implementing Directive 40, the total policy credit capital in the province reached 5,170 billion VND, an increase of 120% compared to 2014. The entrusted capital received locally reached 502 billion VND, accounting for nearly 10% of the total capital, an increase of 18.5 times compared to before Directive 40 was issued.

It can be affirmed that after 10 years of implementing Directive No. 40 in Hai Duong province, social policy credit has truly become a part of daily life and has proven effective. The social policy credit activities carried out by the Social Policy Bank's provincial branch have actively contributed to Hai Duong's rapid and sustainable poverty reduction, the construction of new rural areas, advanced new rural areas, model new rural areas, political stability, social security, and socio-economic development in each locality within the province.

Performed by: HA KIEN

Photo: THANH CHUNG

Source: https://baohaiduong.vn/10-nam-thuc-hien-chi-thi-40-ve-tin-dung-chinh-sach-hai-duong-vao-cuoc-giup-nguoi-dan-thoat-ngheo-388773.html