The municipal People’s Committee set aside 760 billion VND (almost 34 million USD) to present gifts to beneficiaries of governmental policies and other disadvantaged groups.
Nguyen Thi Thu, Vice Chairwoman of the HCM City People’s Committee, said the city increased the total money by 15 percent, equal to 100 billion VND (4.5 million USD), to take care of people in need during the Lunar New Year.
This year, the city’s Tet gifts range from 500,000 VND to 3 million VND (135 USD). Total funds used to take care of those who rendered services to the country were 332 billion VND (15 million USD).
As many as 51,000 poor households will receive a gift worth 1.1 million VND (49 USD) each. The city will also give gifts to 49,500 people who are receiving frequent social sponsorships and more than 79,300 people aged 80 upward.
Households in Can Gio district with disadvantaged circumstances will receive gifts worth 800,000 VND each. The city will also offer gifts each worth 1.4 million VND to 156,000 public servants.
By mid January, the HCM City Red Cross gave 444,444 gifts worth 600,000 VND each to poor households, families of Agent Orange victims and others.
Tran Van Tuan, Vice President of the HCM City Red Cross, said the association will hand over houses to poor families in Hoc Mon district before Tet.
Trieu Le Khanh, Vice President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front’s chapter in HCM City, said the agency has used 38 billion VND (1.7 million USD) to help poor and disadvantaged people.
Vice President of the HCM City Labour Federation Nguyen Van Khai said the federation had prepared 120,000 gift packages for workers.
Pham Hong Son, Deputy Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union Committee, said the committee also prepared 8,500 gifts and 11,000 coach tickets for workers and students.
Source: VNA