Nine-month social investment growth lowest in 5 years: GSO
Total social investment in the first nine months of this year increased just 4.8% year-on-year to VND1,445 trillion, the lowest pace during the 2016-2020 period, the General Statistics Office (GSO) revealed on September 29.
Of the figure, VND484.8 trillion was sourced from the state sector, up 13.4%; VND641.5 trillion came from the non-state sector, increasing by 2.8%; and VND319.1 trillion was from the foreign direct investment sector, down 2.5%.
The COVID-19 pandemic has adversely impacted all production and business activities, the office explained.
However, the disbursement of State budget capital during September and the first nine months were at their highest levels for five years, it said, attributing this to efforts made to step up such disbursement in order to maintain economic growth given the pandemic has been largely contained in Vietnam.
According to the GSO, thanks to instructions from sectors and agencies and community efforts, the daily life has been maintained with attention paid to social security.
In September and the third quarter, no localities faced poverty, the office reported. The rate of household poverty dropped 75.5% between January and September.
Up to 733.6 tonnes of rice was allocated to people in need while gifts worth over VND9.4 trillion (US$406 million) were presented to social policy beneficiaries, national contributors, and other people in need.
More than 24 million health insurance cards and medical books were also granted free-of-charge to social policy beneficiaries.
As of mid-September, more than VND12.5 trillion had been disbursed in support of those affected by COVID-19, the GSO said.