Socialist Republic of Vietnam

Oxfam Executive Director Barbara Stocking said Viet Nam has achieved some successes as the country continues to maintain high economic growth rates while slashing poverty.
 
Speaking with a Viet Nam News Agency's correspondent during her visit to Viet Nam that ran from July 17-23, Barbara affirmed that Viet Nam is working hard in social services such as health and education, saying that these services aided the country in reducing the poverty rate.

During her stay, Stocking embarked on a three-day fieldtrip to the northern province of Lao Cai and then decided to expand Oxfam's activities in the province. A focus will be a new educational model that is student-based and a poverty reduction programme that aims to produce safer food products.

Oxfam is also deploying programmes in Ha Tinh, Ninh Thuan, Tra Vinh, Tien Giang and Dong Thap. These programmes include encouraging agricultural production and affforestration; managing irrigational works; and developing primary education and rural infrastruction in these provinces.

Since May, 1995, Oxfam has allocated around 18 million USD for its activities in Viet Nam and most of the sum were given to local authorities. On average, over 100,000 Vietnamese people benefit from
Oxfam's programmes annually.

Viet Nam 's poverty rate was cut to 18.1 percent in 2006 from 24.1 percent in 2004, according to the Ministry of Labour, Invalid and Social Affairs.

VNA