Empowering livelihood models

QTO - From January 1, 2026, Decree No. 338/2025/ND-CP (Decree 338) officially came into effect, marking a significant turning point in employment support policies. With a substantial increase in loan limits, this policy is becoming a "lever" helping businesses and workers break through and expand their production scale.

Preferential loans provide a boost to production facilities.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Thuy Nga, residing in Team 4, Tich Tuong Hamlet, Quang Tri Ward, is one of the first households to access loan capital from the employment creation program under Decree 338. With the recently disbursed capital of 200 million VND, Ms. Nga's family now has additional resources to develop their existing pig farming model.

Ms. Nga excitedly shared: “My pig herd currently has 130 pigs of all types, from sows to market pigs. With the increased loan limit, I plan to renovate the pigpens to make them more spacious and also add 30 more market pigs to maximize the use of the available breeding space.”

Implementing the loan program to support job creation, maintenance, and expansion under Decree 338, from the beginning of the year until now, the Thanh Co branch of the Vietnam Social Policy Bank (NHCSXH) has disbursed a total loan amount of over 38.5 billion VND, supporting 351 workers in accessing capital.

According to Le Hai Ha, Director of the Thanh Co Branch of the Vietnam Bank for Social Policies: “Previously, the maximum loan amount for job creation was only 100 million VND, but now it has been raised to 200 million VND per worker, suitable for the capital needs during the restructuring of crop and livestock production, helping people confidently expand their production scale. Our goal is to deliver capital to the right people, meeting the right needs, while strictly controlling the process to ensure the safety of the capital.”

The Bo Trach branch of the Social Policy Bank is actively disbursing preferential loan funds to support people in developing production - Photo: BB

For the Bo Trach branch of the Vietnam Bank for Social Policies, the total outstanding loan balance of the program has reached over 205.6 billion VND with 3,985 customers still having outstanding loans. Just from the beginning of the year until March 31, 2026, the branch disbursed loans to 594 customers with a total capital of over 36.7 billion VND to develop production and business.

According to statistics from the Quang Tri Provincial Branch of the Vietnam Bank for Social Policies, as of December 31, 2025, the total outstanding loan balance for the program to support, maintain, and expand employment reached over 2,598.8 billion VND. In 2025, the program's loan volume was over 1,098 billion VND, disbursed to 15,316 borrowers for production and business development. In the first three months of 2026 alone, loan volume reached over 470.7 billion VND, with 5,262 borrowers accessing capital. Thanks to decisive efforts, the total outstanding loan balance of the program as of March 31, 2026, reached an impressive figure of over 2,929.9 billion VND.

Putting the Party's policies into practice.

Government Decree No. 338/2025/ND-CP, which has come into effect, has brought about a turning point in policies supporting job creation. The biggest highlight is the increase in loan limits for production and business establishments and workers. This timely adjustment not only solves the problem of capital shortage for production but also contributes to institutionalizing the policy of developing the private economy as outlined in Resolution No. 68-NQ/TW dated May 4, 2025, of the Politburo .

Accordingly, the maximum loan amount for workers has increased to 200 million VND; for production and business establishments, it is 10 billion VND (not exceeding 200 million VND for each job created). The longest loan term is 120 months, agreed upon by the Vietnam Bank for Social Policies (VBSP) and the customer based on available capital and actual repayment capacity. The lending interest rate is calculated at 127% of the interest rate for loans to poor households; in case of overdue debt, the interest rate will be 130% of the currently applied interest rate. Doubling the loan limit has helped workers, production households, craft villages, and small-scale industries have the opportunity to access larger sources of capital. This enables them to purchase machinery, expand production workshops, hire more workers, and gradually shift to a professional and sustainable economic model.

To ensure that Decree 338 is implemented effectively, in addition to strengthening the dissemination of the new policy's benefits to the people, the Provincial Branch of the Vietnam Bank for Social Policies has conducted appraisals and disbursed loans smoothly and quickly for loan projects. Through the allocated capital, the bank has supported many vulnerable groups, people with disabilities, and rural workers, giving them access to preferential credit to expand and develop their production and business activities, contributing to job creation and self-employment for themselves, their families, and the community. At the same time, the bank has strengthened close coordination with local authorities, entrusted associations and organizations, and savings and loan groups to promote the policy to the right beneficiaries.

Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Youth Union Nguyen Quoc Toan shared: “Increasing the loan limit under Decree 338 is a very positive signal for young entrepreneurs. We are committed to working alongside banks in appraisal and supervision, ensuring that youth union members use the capital effectively and for the right purpose.”

Practical implementation shows that when policies closely align with needs, are implemented synchronously, and are closely linked to communication and supervision, policy credit funds will truly become an important driving force in creating jobs, increasing income, reducing poverty sustainably, and ensuring social security.

Aquarius

Source: https://baoquangtri.vn/xa-hoi/202604/tiep-suc-cho-cac-mo-hinh-sinh-ke-36a283a/