More assistance needed to help Khmer people

      The Office of the Central Party Committee on Friday held a seminar to propose measures for anti-poverty targets in the Mekong Delta.
Living together with Vietnamese and Vietnamese-Chinese ethnic groups, there are 1.3 million Khmer people in the region.
The Government has spent over VND1 trillion for infrastructure in the Mekong Delta, built 60,000 houses and funded more than 100,000 households to set-up businesses.
Of 207 poor communes living in difficult geographical locations that were listed in a five-year poverty reduction program, 48 have succeeded in reducing poverty.
However, the poverty reduction program is facing some difficulties in lacking land for farming, high jobless rates among Khmer people, high number of homeless people and poor job skills.
Participants at the meeting petitioned the Government to draw up a special policy for Khmer people.
The Government should increase number of Khmer officials into local administrations to develop socio-economic targets. Moreover, the Government should assigned local officials to be in charge of anti-poverty policies and finance the restoration of Khmer relics and pagodas.
The Ministry of Education and Training should provide text books for Khmers, the participants added.
Attending the meeting were representatives from the Government Office and various officials from the Mekong Delta’s provinces.