The Ministry of Finance (MoF) has spoken about the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee's proposal to the Prime Minister, the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs to urgently provide nearly VND28,000 billion and 142,000 tons of rice for the poor affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The General Department of State Reserves gave more than 14, 000 tons of rice
to support people hit by Covid-19 in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Internet.

The General Department of State Reserves gave more than 14, 000 tons of rice to support people hit by Covid-19 in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Internet.

On August 17, 2021, the People's Committee of Ho Chi Minh City submitted Document 2729 to the Prime Minister to propose the central government to provide nearly VND28 billion and 142,000 tons of rice to help 1,580,110 households, with 4,740,330 poor people (average of three people/household) during the social distancing period in the city according to Directive dated 16 March 31, 2020 of the Prime Minister.

On the proposals of the Ministry of Finance (Document 9495 dated August 19, 2021) and the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs (Document 2726 dated August 18, 2021), the Prime Minister issued Decision 1415 dated August 20, 2021 on providing more than 130,000 tons of rice to 24 localities, of which Ho Chi Minh City would get 71,000 tons.

On August 23, 2021, the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs issued Document 2804 to request that People's Committees of provinces and cities to provide timely, public, transparent, and the right support for those who are in need and the support must be based on the needs of the people regardless of household registration certificate; priority is given to people in extremely difficult circumstances, children, people with disabilities and the elderly.

The proposal on supporting nearly VND28,000 billion to over 4.7 million poor workers with VND50,000/person/day for 98 days and to poor households in HCMC with VND1,500,000/household/month for two months is a specific policy of the HCMC People's Committee, according to the MoF.

The MoF has submitted to the Prime Minister Ho Chi Minh City’s proposal. The city is requested to proactively prepare local budgets and solutions to mobilize social resources and other legal financial sources to support people. The MoF will synthesize the recommendations of local governments to submit to the Government to submit to the National Assembly Standing Committee solutions on state budget and other legal financial resources to spend on pandemic prevention and control in accordance with Resolution 30 dated July 28, 2021 of the National Assembly.

The Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs and the Ministry of Finance have submitted to the Prime Minister for issuing Decision 1415 dated August 20, 2021. In which, the Ministry of Finance (General Department of State Reserves) is assigned to issue over 71,000 tons of rice to the People's Committee of Ho Chi Minh City to provide to 4.7 million poor workers hit by the Covid-19 pandemic for a month.

Implementing the Prime Minister's decision, the General Department of State Reserve gave over 14,000 tons (phase 1) to people affected by the pandemic.

The Government Office issued a document dated August 25, 2021 to inform the direction of Deputy Prime Minister Le Minh Khai: "The Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs and local governments should carefully review the list of support in compliance with regulations on recipients, principles and scope of support, and give assessment opinions as a basis for the MoF to continue to grant the remaining rice quantity.

Accordingly, based on the appraisal opinion of the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs and the MoF (General Department of State Reverses) will balance and arrange rice to provide to localities to help people affected by the pandemic.