The National Assembly Standing Committee on September 15 passed a resolution on allocating VND274 billion (US$11.8 million) from the central budget’s reserves of 2020 to buy 23,000 tonnes of rice for the national reserves.

The volume of rice will be purchased to supplement the reserves after 23,000 tonnes were taken from the stockpiles during the period from June 1, 2019 to May 31, 2020 to be given to people in localities hit by natural disasters and epidemics, and the poor in between-crops periods. Part of the rice was also sent to Cuba as aid.

The committee also adopted another resolution on adding medical materials and supplies to the list of goods in the national reserves.

Participants proposed that the Government stipulate in detail the types of medical supplies to be included in the national reserves, and the tasks, authority and responsibilities of ministries and agencies in charge of those goods.