Although 53 ethnic minority groups in Vietnam make up only nearly 14.2 percent of the national population, the number of poor people among the groups account for 51.86 percent of the country’s total figure, Chien said at the sixth plenary session of the National Assembly’s Council for Ethnic Affairs in Hanoi on May 3.
Many households still lack production land, he said, stressing asynchronous land and housing policies towards ethnic minority households which need resettlement due to urban development and hydro electric projects.
According to Chien, the committee will implement a total of 15 programmes and policies relating to ethnic minorities in 2018, of which nine will be funded by the State budget.
Members of the council said that a range of credit policies have been implemented in ethnic minority-inhabited areas. However, maximum loans are not enough to support business and production activities in the face of market uncertainties.
Besides, there remain limitations in policies towards teachers and students in the ethnic minority-inhabited areas, they added.
Addressing the meeting, Vice Chairwoman of the NA Tong Thi Phong said the Party and the State always pay due attention to developing ethnic policies.
She asked ministries, agencies and localities to heed security in ethnic minority-inhabited areas in the Northwestern, Central Highlands, and Southwestern regions.
The meeting is expected to go on until May 5./.
