The technical workshop was jointly held by the Ministry of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs (MOLISA) and German Technical Cooperation (GTZ).

Addressing the workshop, MOLISA Deputy Minister Nguyen Trong Dam affirmed the government’s consistent policy of paying attention to social welfare issues, especially for the most vulnerable groups in society.

The 2011-2020 strategy is expected to address issues related to the labour market, social insurance policy and poverty reduction programmes, Ms Dam said.

The strategy makes recommendations on new policies and improvements to existing ones, which target vulnerable groups, such as increasing student access to preferential credit and designing specialised vocational training programmes for people with disabilities. It also proposes tax cuts for employers that hire labourers from disadvantaged groups so as to ensure employment and their stable incomes.

Foreign specialists underlined the need to expand the criteria for those who are entitled to government social assistance. They also called for a prioritised investment strategy to respond to social welfare issues.