Military company’s social welfare activities

PANO – Viettel Dak Nong (branch of Viettel group in Dak Nong province) has effectively implemented its business plans while carrying out social welfare programs in the Central Highlands.

Viettel Dak Nong was formed in 2004, as a branch of Viettel Dak Lak. At first, it was hard because most of the localities covered by the branch are remote areas with poor infrastructure and inhabited mostly by people of ethnic minority groups. In some communes in Dak Glong and Dak R’lap districts, it was even impossible to get access to at times. Due to no electricity, diesel generators had to be operated around the clock to run the base transceiver stations (BTS stations), and this resulted in soaring costs.

Presenting scholarships to needy but excellent students

Thanks to successful decision making and sound management methods, Viettel Dak Nong has earned outstanding achievements. The number of BTS stations has increased quickly, from just 6 in 2004 to 258 at present. A lot of transaction sites and Viettel shops have been erected while 100% of the communes enjoy services via fiber-optic cables. Mobile network coverage has reached all residential areas of the province with hundreds of thousands of subscribers, accounting for 70% of the market share of the province. From its business activities and other related areas, the revenue of Viettel Dak Nong has significantly increased, from just VND 317 million in 2005 to VND 392 billion in 2013, and more than VND 440 billion in 2014, contributing to the State budget more than VND 23 billion per year.

Apart from business activities, since 2004, Viettel Dak Nong has always paid special attention to social welfare activities. On average each year, the unit spends VND 200 - 300 million on social activities in localities of the province. Some of those significant activities include free internet (worth VND 300 million per year) for 250 schools and educational institutions in the province, construction of 4 charity houses, presentation of 300 passbooks to policy beneficiaries and needy households (worth VND 230 million) and more. Viettel Dak Nong also collaborated with medical units to provide free health check-ups, medicine and gifts to 2,000 national contributors in the locality.

This year, the unit contributed VND 2 billion to building the N’Trang Lơng monument and kicked off the program to raise funds to build 5 charity houses (worth VND 60 million each). Viettel Dak Nong plans to present 310 scholarships (VND 1 million each) to disadvantaged but excellent students in its program named “For needy but excellent students,” for the next ten years.

As a military business stationed in a strategic region, Viettel Dak Nong has always cleverly combined business and defence-security activities. The unit is ever-ready to serve in combat readiness missions of other units, contributing to firmly maintaining social order and security as well as strengthening the people’s defence disposition in the Central Highlands.