Nearly 132,000 households in the Central Highlands province of Gia Lai have escaped poverty thanks to State preferential loans over the past 15 years. Specifically, 13 State preferential credit programs in support of housing, production and job creation reached over 140,000 people with a total outstanding loan of VND3.7 trillion ($160.8 million). As a result, jobs were offered to over 23,000 workers while more than 57,000 students could access school education and more than 10,000 poor households received housing loans. The rate of poor households in the locality is expected to fall from 24% in 2011 to below 17% during 2016-2020. Le Van Chi, Director of the provincial Vietnam Bank for Social Policies (VBSP) branch, said the lender will prioritize giving loans to ethnic minority groups in remote and mountainous areas and mobilize capital from the State and local budget for those living in makeshift or dilapidated houses. The province also granted certificates of merit to 20 units and 30 individuals of the VBSP branch in recognition of their efforts in poverty reduction. (vietnam.vnanet.vn Sept 22)
