Vietnam Women's Union

g in a 10-square metre tin-roofed house, Kpah Son in Kong Chieng commune, Mang Yang district is among the thousands of people in Gia Lai who can't afford to build new houses or at least to improve their housing conditions.

According to the guidance of the provincial People's Committee, since the beginning of June, 2009, the Gia Lai Social Policies Bank has deployed a project to financially support 3,500 poor households. Accordingly, each household will get from VND 22.4 million to VND 24.4 million as a loan. The province will assist VND 7-8 million and the bank will lend VND 8 million per household with a preferential interest rate of 3% a year. Moreover, people in special difficulties will get from VND 7.2 million to VND 8.4 million from the State budget and will be exempted from interest rate in 24 months.

Le Van Chi, director of the Gia Lai Social Policies Bank said that the project will be deployed in poor districts such as KBang, Chu Sem La Grai, Dac Doa, Chu Prong… The bank will also organise working sessions with local organisations and societies in order to let the money come to the right beneficiaries as well as instruct them how to complete the necessary procedures so as to be able to get access to loans and soon to settle down their lives in their new houses, he added.