Publication: Vietnam : Strengthening the Social Safety Net to Address New Poverty and Vulnerability Challenges
Date
2010-11
ISSN
Published
2010-11
Author(s)
World Bank
Abstract
As it transitions to Middle-Income
Country (MIC) status, Vietnam is considering whether its
social protection system is adequate to meet rapidly
changing needs associated with strong economic growth,
integration of its economy in regional and global markets,
industrialization, urbanization and other economic and
societal shifts. Vietnam's social safety net - programs
with the following objectives: 1) alleviation of chronic
poverty; 2) help to the poor in coping with the worst forms
of shocks and transient poverty; and 3) promotion of human
development for long-term poverty alleviation. This note
aims to assess the system of social safety net programs
currently in place in Vietnam and to gauge how well it
covers the poor and vulnerable populations. This note
highlights two messages: first, it identifies gaps in the
current poverty reduction and social protection system -
programs that help address urban vulnerability and poverty
and that help the poor and vulnerable manage shocks - which
could be closed through strengthened and more effective
household-targeted social safety net programs. Second, in
examining the existing core social safety net programs the
note finds that, while targeting is respectable, their
primary weakness lies in limited coverage. Based on these
findings, this note strengthens household-targeted social
safety net interventions in Vietnam as a complement to
geographically-targeted poverty reduction programs and
social insurance.
Citation
“World Bank. 2010. Vietnam : Strengthening the Social Safety Net to Address New Poverty and Vulnerability Challenges. © Washington, DC. http://openknowledge.worldbank.org/entities/publication/eb7d3726-14b9-501d-937a-8033c3194beb License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.”