The Northwestern mountainous region has the highest number of poor and near-poor households in Vietnam, which account for more than half of its total households, according to preliminary outcomes of a recent survey.

The survey, which was released at a meeting of the Central Steering Committee for Sustainable Poverty Reduction in Hanoi on March 10, reveals that the Northeastern region records the second largest rate of poor and near-poor households with 29 percent, followed by the Red River Delta and the Southeastern regions, both with less than 10 percent.

Deputy Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Nguyen Trong Dam said figures have been collected in almost all localities nationwide in line with poverty standards set for 2016-2020.

Addressing the event, Deputy Prime Minister Vu Van Ninh, who is also head of the committee, asked the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs to accelerate the conducting of the survey in localities that have yet to finish, in order to identify priority localities for the 2016-2020 National Target Programme for Sustainable Poverty Reduction.

By the end of March, the ministry will have to collect all the figures to report to the Government.

The programme aims to see an average drop of 1.0-1.5 percent in household poverty rates and 4 percent annually in impoverished localities. Priorities will be given to disadvantaged communes in coastal, island, mountainous and border areas.

The programme will receive at least 46.1 trillion VND (2.1 billion USD) of investment, of which 41.4 trillion VND (1.9 billion USD) will come from the State budget.

VNA