In May 2002 the Prime
Minister of Vietnam approved the
Comprehensive Poverty Reduction and Growth Strategy (CPRGS),
which was presented to the Board of the World Bank as the Poverty
Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) on 2 July 2002. The CPRGS was
produced through a highly consultative process, managed by an
inter-ministerial committee headed by the Ministry of Planning and
Investment (MPI) and comprising senior Government officials from MPI
and other ministries. The Government-donor-NGO
Poverty Task Force
(PTF) acted as a technical and
advisory body to Government in the preparation of the CPRGS. The PTF
was established in 1999 to act as the body to undertake the analysis
of the Vietnam Living Standards Survey, the design and
implementation of the Participatory Poverty Assessments and the
production of the poverty assessment,
Vietnam: Attacking Poverty. Since the publication of the poverty
assessment, the PTF has provided a forum for Government-donor-NGO
interaction on the development of the Government's strategy for
targeted assistance - the Hunger Eradication and Poverty Reduction
Strategy, HEPR - and the CPRGS. Fifteen Government agencies are
currently represented on the PTF, though the exact composition may
change to reflect its function over the next years of supporting the
implementation of the CPRGS. The PTF
meetings are co-chaired by Government and a representative
(rotating) from the donor community.
The CPRGS focuses on the following objectives:
· Promoting rapid and sustainable economic growth while ensuring
social progress and equity, with attention to: developing
agriculture and rural areas, ensuring food security, creating jobs,
greater support to disadvantaged areas, and eliminating regional and
ethnic inequities.
· Creating an equal business environment for all types of
enterprises from all economic sectors, including enterprises with
foreign direct investment (FDI), and encouraging the development of
small- and medium-sized enterprises.
· Continuing with structural reforms, including: SOE reform; state
budget; commercial banking; financial and credit organizations;
trade liberalization - bilateral, commitments under AFTA, WTO
accession; promoting income growth; developing markets to distribute
consumer goods, etc.
· Undertaking public administration reform, including: institutional
reform, administrative reform, civil service reform, and public
finance reform to increase accountability in civil service and
administration, to improve access to public services, and to ensure
social equity.
· Encouraging human development and reducing inequality; priority to
quality of and access to health and education services and
development; environmental protection, prevention of HIV/AIDS
transmission and infection, gender equality and improvement of the
life of ethnic groups. Focus on urban poverty - especially regarding
employment, income and housing, and ensuring equal access to
services.
· Reducing vulnerability and improving the capacity of vulnerable
groups to manage risk better by developing and expanding social
protection and safety nets for the poor and introducing a more
comprehensive approach to natural disaster management.
· Establishing a system of qualitative and quantitative
socio-economic development and poverty reduction indicators (with
gender and social group elements taken into consideration) to
monitor and evaluate the implementation of the CPRGS.
Consultations with poor
communities and local officials in six sites around Vietnam were
held while the document was being drafted. This provided valuable
insights into what could work effectively for poor communities and
influenced the final document.
The World Bank and several other donors have indicated that they
will align their own country assistance strategies for Vietnam to
the CPRGS. The Poverty Task Force will provide support to
Government, and the CPRGS Secretariat, in monitoring and evaluating
implementation of the CPRGS.
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