HCMC approves new $113 million Covid relief package

The People's Committee of Ho Chi Minh City said it expected the third Covid-19 financial support package this year to help 1,048,500 poor working households living in poor neighborhoods and about 670,000 informal workers facing difficulties because of the pandemic, Tuoi Tre reported.

The administration also asked the People's Committees of Districts and Thu Duc City to direct the wards and communes, the heads of the executive committees of neighborhoods and hamlets to urgently review the situation and identify poor and working-class households and informal workers that need further help.

The payment of relief funds should not discriminate between permanent or temporary residents, or the basis of number of members in the household or occupation. The local authorities should also ensure no duplication or omission happens in the distribution of relief.

The list of informal workers must be of those residing in HCMC with legal papers, having no income or an income of less than VND4 million per month.

HCMC has asked the government for a relief package of VND28 trillion and 142,200 tons of rice for over 4.7 million people.

In the past two months, aside from a government relief package of VND26 trillion in July, HCMC has issued two of its own packages valued at VND1.8 trillion in total to help the poor as well as businesses hit by the pandemic.

It has been estimated that the ongoing Covid-19 wave has affected more than 1.3 million workers who have lost their jobs, had their contracts suspended or stopped working for other reasons.