Policy credit contributes to sustainable poverty reduction in Bao Lac - Cao Bang Electronic Newspaper

Bao Lac district has 15/17 communes and towns in region III and 121 extremely disadvantaged villages and hamlets, with 98.59% of the population being ethnic minorities. Complex terrain, difficult transportation, and limited awareness of borrowing capital for production and livestock farming have made the implementation of TDCS encounter many obstacles. Faced with this reality, the Board of Directors of the District Social Policy Bank (CSXH) identified propaganda and mobilization work as an important key to help people effectively access capital sources, gradually improve their livelihoods and develop a sustainable economy. Bao Lac District Party Secretary La Hoai Nam emphasized: As soon as Directive 40-CT/TW took effect, the district issued many directive documents and synchronously deployed solutions. In particular, the establishment and consolidation of Savings and Loan Groups in villages and hamlets, along with training using the "hands-on" method, has helped improve the effectiveness of TDCS in the area.

Staff of Bao Lac District Social Policy Bank promote credit policy programs to members of the Savings and Credit Group.

To ensure that capital reaches the right recipients, the District Social Policy Bank Transaction Office applies the method of partially entrusted lending through the Farmers' Association, Women's Union, Veterans' Association and Youth Union. The organizations not only directly manage the Savings and Loan Groups in villages and hamlets but also closely monitor the capital use process, enhancing the responsibility of borrowers. To date, the district has established 238 Savings and Loan Groups in 146 villages, hamlets and residential groups with more than 6,900 members. Thanks to effective operations, overdue debt is maintained below 1% and over 99% of customers repay their debts on time. The model not only helps people access capital more conveniently but also gradually changes their production mindset, creating momentum for local economic development. Currently, Bao Lac district is implementing 18 preferential credit programs for poor and near-poor households, ethnic minorities, students with difficult circumstances, along with clean water, environmental sanitation and job creation projects. Of these, 8 programs focusing on poor and ethnic minority households have become an important driving force to help people gradually escape poverty sustainably.

Thanks to TDCS capital, over the past 10 years, more than 3,000 households in Bao Lac have escaped poverty, nearly 1,000 workers have been employed, and more than 200 students have had the opportunity to continue their studies. Thousands of clean water works and solid houses have been built, significantly improving the quality of life for people. Agricultural and forestry production models with high economic value such as growing star anise, cinnamon, cassia, mulberry, blood plum... have developed strongly, contributing to diversifying income and improving the lives of households. The whole district currently has more than 2,100 hectares of star anise, 2,000 hectares of cinnamon, 256 hectares of cassia and many other crop areas... In 2024, the total revenue from star anise essential oil will reach more than 20 billion VND, contributing to significantly improving people's lives, creating a stable source of income for households and developing a sustainable economy in the locality.

In the period of 2019 - 2023, the average number of poor households decreased by over 5%/year, exceeding 90% of the plan, twice as high as the previous period. Rural infrastructure was invested synchronously, inter-district and inter-commune roads were gradually expanded, making trade connections more convenient. Electricity grids, schools, and medical stations were built spaciously, helping to improve the quality of life for people.

Mai Chi

Source: https://baocaobang.vn/tin-dung-chinh-sach-gop-phan-giam-ngheo-ben-vung-o-bao-lac-3176419.html