HCMC to spend over US$47 mln on Tet activities for the disadvantaged

HCMC has earmarked over VND1.11 trillion (nearly US$47.2 million) for activities aimed at ensuring a merry Tet (Lunar New Year) holiday for people with disadvantages, according to Thanh Nien (Young people) newspaper.
Workers receive Tet gifts at a program in HCMC. (Photo: SGGP)

Workers receive Tet gifts at a program in HCMC. (Photo: SGGP)

The municipal Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs has planned several activities, including holding New Year celebrations, upgrading martyr cemeteries and memorials, organizing meetings with veteran revolutionaries and Heroic Vietnamese Mothers, and presenting gifts to revolution contributors, poor households, people entitled to social protection, along with cadres, civil servants, public employees and workers in the State sectors.

Authorities of HCMC will present gifts to the People’s Committees of 312 wards, communes, and townships so as to organize Tet activities for local residents.

Nearly VND927 billion will be allocated for those activities, rising over VND76 billion from the 2022 Tet, said Deputy Director of the department Huynh Le Nhu Trang.

Meanwhile, the municipal Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee has also built a plan under which more than VND43 billion will be spent on caring for the disadvantaged, according to the head of the committee’s movement division Duong Thi Huyen Tram.

The HCMC Federation of Labor has also been holding a number of activities to care for workers on the Tet occasion amid lay-offs and job losses facing employees of some businesses.

From January 6, it will send delegations to pay pre-Tet visits to some enterprises and present gifts to disadvantaged workers. New Year celebrations and gatherings of those unable to return to their hometowns for Tet will also be held.

These activities will be carried out at a total cost of about VND140 billion, Vice President of the federation Pham Chi Tam noted.

The salary of workers in HCMC averaged over VND11 million per month in 2022.

The average 2023 New Year bonus stood at VND3.14 million, 7.37 percent lower than the 2022 survey. Meanwhile, Tet bonuses rose 45 percent to VND12.88 million on average, according to the Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs.

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