"Carrying" policy capital up the mountain

(NADS) - In Quang Binh province, in order for Directive No. 40-CT/TW to be effective and for policy capital to reach the people in border areas, over the years, officials of the Vietnam Bank for Social Policies in the province have not hesitated to overcome difficult roads and tirelessly "carry" capital to the people.

Thanks to timely and appropriate policy funding, many villages and hamlets are gradually embracing peace and prosperity. Implementing social welfare policies, the Party and State have implemented many preferential policies for poor households over the years, including Directive No. 40-CT/TW. After 10 years of implementation, the Directive has proven effective, leading to improved living conditions for many poor households, a brighter rural landscape, and increasing people's trust in the leadership of the Party and State.

Following in the footsteps
Comrade Hoang Hai Nam – a credit officer who has been working with people in the highlands for many years – shared: “During a field trip to Ploang village, Truong Son commune – a village lacking many things: no electricity, no telecommunications signal, no well-off or wealthy households… and the only thing it has is a high rate of poverty. With such undesirable ‘firsts,’ the challenge is how to educate the people about the preferential policies that the Party and State are implementing to support the people, so that they can confidently borrow capital to develop their family economy , escape poverty, and stabilize their lives. Therefore, to eradicate poverty and develop the economy for the people, the first thing is capital and the right approach. Capital is available from the Social Policy Bank, but the approach is not just about talking to the people, but about discussing and working together, deciding what to raise, what to plant, and how to plant and care for them…”

Disseminating information about social policy credit programs to the people of Truong Son commune, Quang Ninh district.

Despite being a young officer, Nam has volunteered to work in difficult, remote, and inaccessible areas in mountainous communes and border villages in remote regions for a considerable amount of time.

Speaking about this particular choice, Nam shared: “Previously, I participated in many charitable programs, visiting people in remote villages in the province. I saw that the lives of the people there were still poor, and their customs and lifestyles were still backward. Therefore, my wish is for the people in these high-altitude border areas to have access to preferential policies of the State, especially policy-based capital so that they can learn to do business, develop their economy, change their lives, and no longer depend on State support.” After spending time eating and living with the people, understanding their thoughts and feelings, and comprehending the difficulties they are facing, he always stays close to the area to promptly address any problems and create favorable conditions for them to quickly access capital to develop production and rise out of poverty.

Having worked for many years in Tan Trach and Thuong Trach communes, Bo Trach district, and possessing extensive experience in bringing capital to mountainous areas, Mr. Le Tuan Son - an officer of the Vietnam Bank for Social Policies (VBSP) in Bo Trach district - shared: “Tan Trach and Thuong Trach communes are mainly inhabited by ethnic minorities. With difficult economic conditions and limited awareness, receiving the policies and guidelines of the Party and State requires a long and gradual process. Following the motto "Transactions at home, disbursement and debt collection at the commune level," we went to live and eat with the people to assess their needs and promote policy-based credit. Only then did the people understand and confidently borrow capital to develop their economy.”

Comrade Hoang Hai Nam – a credit officer – has been closely associated with the people in the highlands for many years.

Tran Van Tai, Director of the Quang Binh Provincial Branch of the Vietnam Bank for Social Policies, affirmed: "To ensure that villages and hamlets become increasingly prosperous, and that people know how to use capital for economic development and escape backward customs, the role of policy credit officers is immense. They are the silent contributors in implementing Directive No. 40-CT/TW and transferring policy capital from the Party and State to ethnic minority communities."

The highlands are undergoing a transformation.

Thanks to the efforts of the Social Policy Bank's staff in implementing Directive No. 40-CT/TW in remote villages, many ethnic minority households have begun to borrow capital and invest in economic development. Ho Thi Thi, head of Ploang village, happily stated: "Policy capital has reached the people in our village. Previously, many households only knew how to find food in the forest, but now that policy capital has reached the village, people know how to borrow, plan their businesses, and save money. Many people no longer have to go into the forest to 'scramble' for food like before."

Total loan disbursements under Directive No. 40-CT/TW for the period 2014-2024, for programs targeting ethnic minorities and mountainous regions, reached VND 41,271 million, with 1,903 households currently borrowing capital. From 2021 to December 31, 2023, the poverty rate among ethnic minorities decreased by 16.63% (from 69.52% to 52.89%).

Nguyen Van Nhi, Secretary of the Party Committee of Truong Son commune, happily shared: "The implementation of Directive No. 40-CT/TW is a correct and humane policy of the Party and the State. Since having access to policy credit, the lives of people in Truong Son commune have changed significantly. Their awareness has also gradually shifted. From being hesitant to borrow and engage in economic activities, the people are now boldly borrowing capital to develop livestock and crop farming models and are conscious of the need to save and pay monthly interest, avoiding overdue debts. To date, policy capital has spread to almost all villages with a total loan amount of over 42 billion VND to 769 customers, with an average loan of about 60 million VND per customer."

The ethnic minority and mountainous areas of the province currently have a natural area of ​​3,845 km². As of December 31, 2023, the population was 11,164 households with 46,488 people. Ethnic minorities live in concentrated communities in 102 villages and hamlets belonging to 15 communes and 3 hamlets in the districts of Minh Hoa, Tuyen Hoa, Bo Trach, Quang Ninh, and Le Thuy. Life for ethnic minorities and mountainous communities in many areas remains difficult; outdated production practices lead to unstable incomes. In recent times, thanks to the implementation of Directive No. 40-CT/TW, policy capital has reached many remote villages and hamlets.

According to Tran Huu Ninh, Deputy Head of the Provincial Ethnic Affairs Committee: Social policy credit has profound humanitarian significance, making an important contribution to the effective implementation of the policies, goals, and tasks set forth by the Party and the State, addressing social security issues in ethnic minority and mountainous areas, remote areas, and areas with special difficulties. Through this, ethnic minorities can strengthen their trust in the leadership of the Party and the State and effectively achieve national goals on sustainable poverty reduction and social security.

Source: https://nhiepanhdoisong.vn/cong-von-chinh-sach-len-non-15581.html