(HBO) - In recent years, with many practical programmes, Vietnam Bank for Social Policies’ transaction office in Lac Son district (Hoa Binh province) has improved the quality of entrustment activity, making it easier for local people to get access to preferential credits, thus timely helping poor and disadvantaged households develop production and improve their living standards, and promoting sustainable poverty reduction in the locality.
Soft loans have helped local residents to implement the national target programme on hunger eradication and poverty reduction, and stablise the political and social situation in Tan Lap commune.

With preferential loans from the Vietnam Bank for Social Policies, Mr.
Bui Quoc Trong, Tom 3 hamlet, Tan Lap commune (Lac Son district) has invested
in producing wooden furniture.
At present, Tan Lap commune is
implementing eight policy credit programmes with outstanding loans worth over 24.4
billion VND. Of which, outstanding loans for poor households account for the largest
amount, reaching over 8.4 billion VND, while loans for near-poor households as
well as business and production projects reached over 5.5 billion VND and 2.3
billion VND, respectively.
The commune has 33 groups of savings and
loans with 1,273 borrowers and savings reaching 464 million VND. To effectively
use the preferential loans, the bank office’s staff closely coordinated with those
working in associations and organisations receiving credit entrustment to call
on the groups’ members to transform the crop and livestock structure, focusing on
growing new varieties with high yield and quality
and suitable to the commune's natural conditions.
Attention has been also paid to building models
to produce new maize and hybrid rice varieties, breed big herds of cows and
buffalos, and process animal feed.
Along with
measures to help the groups’ members access and effectively use loans, many emulation
movements were launched to encourage local farmers, women, war veterans and
young people to promote production and business activities and support each
other to eradicate poverty, and make their fortune.
The effective use of preferential
credit loans in Tan Lap has remarkably supported the implementation of the national target programme on reducing poverty, building new-style rural areas and ensuring social security in the locality.
So far, the rate of poor households in the commune has droped to 27.6 percent, and the per capita income stands
at 28
million VND per year./.
The National Science and Engineering Fair for secondary and high school students was held at Ton Duc Thang University in Ho Chi Minh City from March 19-21 by the Ministry of Education and Training.
As women's participation in key leadership positions of Hoa Binh province is still modest while some women in rural and mountainous areas or from ethnic minorities face limited access to policies, the provincial Party Committee's Organisation Board has advised the provincial Party Committee's Standing Board to direct Party committees at all levels and localities to pay more attention to training female personnel and creating favourable conditions for women to take over leadership and management roles, thus addressing a shortage in the number of female cadres.
The Department of Education and Training of Hoa Binh province held a conference on March 18 to review the performance of the "Safe and Happy School" Project and set out tasks for 2025. The project, funded by the Taiwan Fund for Children and Families (TFCF), aims to create a safe, inclusive, and supportive learning environment for students. The event saw the attendance of representatives from the TFCF and 26 beneficiary schools.
With over 70% of their workers being women, trade unions across industrial parks (IPs) in Hoa Binh have been actively safeguarding their legal rights and interests while implementing initiatives to improve their income and well-being.
In recent years, the Hoa Binh provincial General Hospital has continuously innovated itself and improved the quality of medical services to meet the increasing needs of local people. With substantial investments in infrastructure and modern equipment, along with a team of highly qualified doctors and nurses, the hospital has gradually established itself as one of the leading medical units in the Northwestern region and a trusted destination for healthcare for people inside and outside the province.
From mastering the fundamentals of programming to achieving national recognition, the Programming Club of the Le Van Tam Primary School (STAR LVT28) in Hoa Binh city has made remarkable strides in the field of robotics.