A resident in the Mekong Delta city of Cần Thơ receives aid as part of the Government's relief package to support people who lost income due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Vietnamese Fatherland Front (VFF) has been given the responsibility for supervising the implementation of the Government’s relief package to support people affected by COVID-19.

Earlier this month, the Government approved Resolution 42 for a VNĐ62 trillion (over US$2.6 billion) package to help those who have lost their jobs and income due to the coronavirus.

According to the VFF, it would oversee lists of relief recipients under Resolution 42 along with the publication of the lists at the headquarters of local governments.

Speaking at a conference on Monday, VFF President Trần Thanh Mẫn asked local VFF chapters to work closely with other agencies to ensure recipients were eligible for the funds.

Responsibility required

Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Đào Ngọc Dung emphasised that Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc had said the package should not provide indiscriminate support for all people, and that the burden of the pandemic would be shared between businesses and the Government.

PM Phúc ordered measures be put in place to ensure the transparency of the funding to ensure the support went to the right people.

“This is an unprecedented decision which reflects the care of the Government towards its people,” Minister Dung said.

He also said the support package had been welcomed nationwide.

In addition, agencies would continue to hold online conferences to guide the implementation of the package based on specific needs.

Localities will need to focus on supporting workers and people who have suffered income cuts due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The four groups set to receive support in April are poor households, those who contributed to the country’s revolution and construction, near-poor households and beneficiaries of social welfare policies. He also said that freelance workers were also in desperate need of support and asked localities to focus on this group.