Vietnam receives $2.3 million in funding to improve its social assistance system.

The project “Support for Improving the Social Assistance Policy System” (2013-2016), funded by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), has a total budget of US$2.3 million, including US$2 million in non-refundable aid and US$300,000 in counterpart funding. This information was announced at the project launch ceremony held on February 19th in Hanoi.

Ceremony to announce the project supporting the improvement of the social assistance policy system.

The Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, in collaboration with UNDP, launched this project. The project will contribute to the implementation of Resolution 15's direction on improving the social assistance system based on minimum living standards and building a unified national vision for an inclusive and sustainable social assistance system.

According to Deputy Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Nguyen Trong Dam: “The social security system will be formed based on a unified standard determined by the minimum living standard needs and addressing multifaceted causes to ensure the prevention of social risks for everyone.”

UNDP Deputy Country Director, Mr. Bakhodir Burkhanov, reaffirmed the goal of building a more cohesive and effective social assistance system to expand coverage and increase assistance levels for vulnerable groups, thereby maintaining and further enhancing Vietnam's poverty reduction and social development achievements as a middle-income country in the coming years.

Mr. Bakhodir Burkhanov also outlined several challenges in achieving this goal, including developing social assistance policies and mechanisms, and the need to improve the effectiveness of the social assistance system.

According to NDĐT