The project, worth 150 million USD, targets the 26 poorest districtsin Dak Lak, Dak Nong, Kon Tum, Gia Lai, Quang Nam and Quang Ngaiprovinces. It aims to enhance livelihoods and opportunities for theimpoverished in these districts, most of who are from various ethnicminority groups.
The project encompasses fourcomponents: village and commune infrastructure development; sustainablelivelihood development; connective infrastructure development, capacitybuilding and communications; and project management.
In Quang Ngai alone, more than 16 million USD is set to addressextreme poverty in 15 communes across Ba To, Son Ha and Son Taydistricts.
Since 2014, Quang Ngai has thus farapproved five infrastructure sub-projects and another ten are pending.The sub-projects are scheduled to begin construction in September 2015and become operational by the end of December.
Thethirteen targeted communes have established 52 livelihood supportgroups in hybrid rice paddy cultivation benefiting 520 households andten communes have set up 16 groups in cow farming, among others.
Quang Ngai disbursed 2.1 billion VND (96,774 USD) in funding in 2014.In 2015, the province approved a financial plan worth 72.7 billion VND(3.35 million USD), only 4.4 billion VND (202,765 USD) of which wasdisbursed by the end of the second quarter.
According to Deputy Chairman Thich, the slow pace is due largely to ahigh number of agencies participating in the project and theconsiderable risks involved.
He proposed includingadditional poor communes in the three districts as part of the projectin 2016 even though they are not located in the Central Highlands’neighbouring areas.
Acknowledging local efforts incarrying out the project, World Bank Country Director in VietnamVictoria Kwakwa recommended Quang Ngai boost community engagement,especially from women.-VNA