Directive No. 40-CT/TW: The Party's extended "arm" in the cause of sustainable poverty reduction (Part 3)

Many important results achieved in 10 years of implementing Directive No. 40-CT/TW of the Party Central Committee Secretariat on strengthening the Party's leadership over social policy credit work are and will become a fulcrum for Party committees and authorities at all levels in Hoa Binh province to continue to focus on leadership and direction to bring about sustainable development of policy credit activities.

Telling numbers after 10 years of implementing Directive No. 40-CT/TW

After 10 years of implementing Directive No. 40-CT/TW, Hoa Binh province has proven that policy credit is truly the "compass" in the fight against hunger eradication and poverty reduction, expanding sustainable development opportunities for people. Under the leadership of the Vietnam Bank for Social Policies, preferential credit capital is not only a policy bridge but also an important "lever", tightening the connection between the Party, the State and the People, joining hands to push back hunger and poverty, create jobs, improve the quality of life and build new rural areas.

Currently, Hoa Binh province is implementing 20 policy credit programs. Over the past 10 years, over VND 14,153 billion has been disbursed to more than 684,200 poor households, near-poor households and other policy beneficiaries; debt collection of over VND 9,193.5 billion. By mid-2024, the total outstanding debt of policy credit programs will reach VND 5,096.7 billion, an increase of nearly 2.8 times compared to before Directive No. 40-CT/TW. With over 102,251 poor households and policy beneficiaries still in debt, accounting for 46.2% of the total number of households in the province, it demonstrates Hoa Binh's determination to bring capital to the right place, the right subjects, helping people gradually escape poverty sustainably.

The conference summarizing 10 years of implementing Directive No. 40-CT/TW in Hoa Binh marked important steps forward in sustainable poverty reduction and socio-economic development. (Photo: Thanh Ha)

Along with capital growth, credit quality is also a top priority. Party committees and authorities at all levels have coordinated with socio -political organizations to implement training courses to improve professional skills for officials, to ensure that capital reaching the people is always used for the right purpose and effectively. Thanks to that, the overdue debt rate has decreased to only 0.06%, helping people to be more aware of their responsibilities and affirming their trust in policy credit.

Directive No. 40-CT/TW has really motivated all levels of government to concentrate all resources from the central to local budgets, promptly supplementing loan capital through the VBSP. As of mid-2024, the total operating capital at the VBSP provincial branch reached nearly VND 5,108.4 billion, of which capital from the central government and capital mobilized locally increased significantly, demonstrating the consensus of all levels and sectors in bringing policy credit closer to people in the highlands.

Socio-political organizations such as the Women's Union, Farmers' Association, Veterans' Association, and Youth Union have made strong contributions by participating in managing 99.5% of the total outstanding debt of the Social Policy Bank. Together with the system of Savings and Loan Groups with more than 344 groups across the province, helping people access capital sources easily and openly, thereby contributing to transparency, improving the efficiency and quality of policy credit activities.

Over the past 10 years, policy credit capital has helped more than 125,400 households overcome the poverty line, created jobs for over 65,900 workers, helped 1,624 people work abroad and provided loans for more than 31,900 students. The capital has also invested in over 227,000 clean water and sanitation projects in rural areas, built 21,500 houses for the poor, supported 572 social housing units and helped businesses recover production after Covid-19. Thanks to that, the poverty rate in Hoa Binh has decreased significantly: in the period 2011-2015, it decreased from 31.51% to 12.26%, and from 2016 to now, it has continued to decrease from 24.38% to 9.2%.

VBSP staff support and guide households in Tan Lac district, Hoa Binh to use policy credit capital to develop production and improve living standards. (Photo: Thanh Ha)

The above results not only affirm the success of Directive No. 40-CT/TW but also open up valuable lessons on leadership and creative ways of implementing policies. This success emphasizes the important role of the Party in making policy credit an essential tool to implement the Socio-Economic Development Strategy, the Sustainable Poverty Reduction Target Program, and new rural construction. Thereby, contributing to the implementation of the Resolution of the 13th National Congress, ensuring social security, and promoting equality with the goal of "Leaving no one behind" in the province.

Continue to improve the effectiveness of policy credit in the new period

According to Mr. Bui Duc Hinh, Standing Deputy Secretary of the Hoa Binh Provincial Party Committee, Directive No. 40-CT/TW has really come into life, strongly affecting the operation of policy credit capital, helping to increase the scale and quality of credit. The effectiveness of policy credit up to this point is not only economic value, but also social issues are resolved, the life value of the poor and disadvantaged people is gradually improved and enhanced. Thanks to that, people's trust in the leadership of the Party and State is increasingly consolidated.

However, in addition to the achieved results, the implementation of Directive No. 40-CT/TW in the province still has some shortcomings and limitations that need to be overcome. Some local Party committees and authorities have not fully grasped the content of Directive and Conclusion No. 06-KL/TW, leading to the integration of policy credit activities into the work program being indecisive and not closely monitored. In the process of coordinating socio-economic development programs, technology transfer and vocational training have not achieved optimal efficiency, making it difficult for people to fully access preferential capital sources.

Ms. Phuong Thi Thoa's family (Ke hamlet, Hien Luong commune, Da Bac district) effectively uses policy credit capital to invest in developing a cage fish farming model and developing the economy. (Photo: Thanh Ha)

Although the local budget capital entrusted through the Social Policy Bank has been supplemented annually, it only accounts for 4% of the total policy credit capital, showing that local resources for policy credit are still limited. The inspection and supervision work of some members of the Board of Directors of the Social Policy Bank is not timely, along with that, information technology in credit management is still limited, leading to the management and support of borrowers not achieving the highest efficiency.

To continue promoting the achievements and overcoming the limitations, the Standing Deputy Secretary of the Hoa Binh Provincial Party Committee suggested that Party committees at all levels, authorities, the Vietnam Fatherland Front and socio-political organizations need to continue to strengthen direction and supervision to ensure that social policy credit programs are effectively implemented. In addition, continue to strengthen inspection and supervision of social policy credit activities. At the same time, consider extending the credit support period for newly escaped poverty households to a maximum of 5 years from the time they leave the list of poor and near-poor households; Increase the maximum loan term to 10 years to match the production cycle of long-term crops and livestock such as fruit trees and industrial crops, helping people stabilize their livelihoods in the long term.

For communes in disadvantaged areas that have met the new rural standards, he also proposed to continue allowing households to borrow capital under the production and business program in disadvantaged areas according to Decision 17/2023/QD-TTg of the Prime Minister. As well as expanding the loan subjects, including households with average living standards, to promote production and increase income for people. In addition, he proposed to increase the maximum loan amount from 100 to 150 million VND/person from the job support program and add a 0.1% minimum wage remuneration for village heads to manage credit capital, to encourage them to actively support credit work at the grassroots level.

Recalling the advice of President Ho Chi Minh: "The policy of the Party and the Government is to take utmost care of the people's lives...". For that reason, the issuance of Directive No. 40-CT/TW is also like the concretization of Uncle Ho's advice. Then, promoting the achieved results, drawing lessons from 10 years of implementing Directive No. 40-CT/TW, Hoa Binh province will continue to promote the implementation of the content of the directive, aiming to make policy credit truly become an important "pillar" in sustainable development, improving life and creating a bright future for all people.

Source: https://thoibaonganhang.vn/chi-thi-so-40-cttw-canh-tay-noi-dai-cua-dang-trong-cong-cuoc-giam-ngheo-ben-vung-bai-3-159205.html