Life improvements for revolutionary contributors

Along with the country's socio-economic development, Vietnam has also enhanced the living conditions for these contributors. At the moment, the monthly allowance level helps social policy beneficiaries to have above-average living conditions. In addition, the government has ensured health care and treatment for them through allowances. Children of the contributors have enjoyed school fee exemption and given subsidy for textbooks, schooling aids, etc.

In 2006, the government has spent over VND 6,000 billion to ensure the privileges for 13 types of State and revolutionary contributors. Over 1.1 million people have been given health insurance; dozens of thousands of children of martyrs and war invalids have enjoyed educational preferential policies; over 14,500 revolutionary veterans have been given housing assistance worth thousands of billion of dong; hundreds of social policy benefiting families have been given loans for hunger elimination and poverty reduction, etc.

In addition to State assistance, movements such as "Drink Water, Remember Its Source" or "Showing Gratitude" have been launched. In the past ten years, localities, socio-economic organisations, businesses and individuals have contributed over VND 3,760 billion to the movement "Showing Gratitude", built 236,498 houses of gratitude and repaired 97,537 houses with a total cost of VND 2,251 billion. Besides, over 200,000 saving books and 15,000 gardens of gratitude worth hundreds of billion dong have been given to social policy benefiting families. The country has taken care of dozens of thousands of Vietnamese heroic mothers and given assistance to over 60,000 relatives of martyrs, etc.

Vice chairman of the National Assembly Truong Quang Duoc said that the value of the above-mentioned charity activities could not count in cash, and the value of these activities were more than gold that warms the hearts of relatives of martyrs, war invalids, wounded soldiers and revolutionary contributors.

Although the Party, State and people of Vietnam have made great efforts to solve consequences of the wars, there remain a part of poor social policy benefiting families living in the remote areas, in the former war ravaged areas and the natural disaster-hit areas. The Ministry of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs will continue to co-ordinate with sectors and localities to give assistance to the poor families, especially with housing and loans for production.

In 2006, Vietnam did much for revolutionary contributors. In 2007, the country will mark 60th anniversary of the War Invalids, Martyrs' Day (July 27, 1947-July 27, 2007) with targets o­n life improvement for State contributors.