The meeting was chaired by Deputy Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee and Chairman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee in Ho Chi Minh City, Nguyen Phuoc Loc.
At the meeting, Duong Thi Huyen Tram, Head of the Social Affairs Department of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee in Ho Chi Minh City, said that funding for the Lunar New Year support program would be drawn from city-mobilized funds as well as the municipal disaster and epidemic relief fund. The total budget allocated for the program is expected to exceed VND210 billion (US$8 million).
According to Vice President of the Ho Chi Minh City Federation of Labor, Le Van Hoa, the city’s trade unions are expected to mobilize total resources of more than VND3.4 trillion (US$129.3 million) for Lunar New Year support activities.
The program includes the provision of 820 air tickets, 2,293 train tickets, and 6,300 coach tickets to help union members and workers return to their hometowns for the holiday. In addition, gifts will be distributed to more than 350,000 disadvantaged union members and workers. The Ho Chi Minh City Federation of Labor will also coordinate with the Ho Chi Minh City Youth Union to organize the “Spring Bus” program, providing transportation for 2,000 young people and workers to travel home for the Lunar New Year.
Concluding the meeting, Deputy Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee and Chairman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee in Ho Chi Minh City, Nguyen Phuoc Loc, underscored that the implementation of Lunar New Year support activities must be comprehensive, ensuring that no one is left behind. He stressed that assistance efforts should be diverse and well-targeted, focusing on substantive and sustainable outcomes rather than symbolic gestures, while conveying a sense of warmth and social solidarity.
Accordingly, priority should be given to workers and laborers who are unable to return to their hometowns for the holiday and those facing difficult circumstances, as well as vulnerable groups such as elderly people living alone, orphans, and children with disabilities. In addition, livelihood support should be provided during the Lunar New Year to help disadvantaged trade union members and beneficiaries stabilize their lives and proactively work toward escaping poverty.
