The implementation of a movement named "Veterans assist one another to reduce poverty and excel in business" has helped improve the life quality and protect legitimate interests of war veterans, he said in an interview granted to Hoa Binh Newspaper on the occasion of the seventh patriotic emulation congress of the "Exemplary war veterans" in the province for the 2024 - 2029 period.

Currently, the association gathers 103 enterprises employing 3,895 workers, 27 cooperatives with 921 workers, 22 cooperative groups with 415 workers, 1,692 farms with 5,984 workers, and 2,164 business households with 4,964 workers, all of which are led by war veterans. They have created steady jobs for 15,809 workers whose monthly incomes range from 5 million VND to 7 million VND (200-279 USD).

During the 2019 - 2024 period, he noted, the association has supported the construction of 112 houses for members, worth over 1.5 billion VND, funded by the compassion fund for war veterans. A fund was set up for veterans to help one another to reduce poverty and develop livelihoods, with a total capital of 30.1 billion VND. Under the new multi-dimensional poverty standards, the rate of poor households among war veterans is expected to fall to 4.67% this year, from 6.23% in 2019.

The provincial War Veterans' Association has coordinated with the Vietnam Bank for Social Policies to effectively implement the entrusted loan policy. Currently, the association manages 594 savings and borrowing groups with the involvement of 24,429 households. Outstanding entrusted loans as of June 30, 2024 totalled more than 1.2 trillion VND. Various training sessions on the national target programmes on new-style rural area building and sustainable poverty reduction, along with agricultural, forestry and fisheries extension have been organised by the association in coordination with the Party Central Committee's Economic Commission, the Vietnam War Veterans' Association, the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, and relevant agencies, attracting thousands of members.

The results of the "Exemplary war veterans"emulation movement over the past five years have become an important motivation for individuals and collectives to promote dynamism and creativity in fulfilling their assigned tasks.

In the upcoming period, the veterans' associations at all levels in the province will continue to step up the movement to encourage all local veterans to uphold the virtues of "Uncle Ho's Soldiers" and the "Loyalty - Solidarity - Exemplarity - Innovation” tradition of the Vietnam War Veterans' Association. Priority will be given to helping build and protect the Party, administration, people and socialist regime.

They will actively and effectively participate in socio-economic development programmes, national defence, security, and external relations in each locality. Focus will also be placed on promoting internal strength, self-reliance and mutual support so that veterans excel in doing business, reduce poverty fast and sustainably, and educate the young generation on traditions, according to Hung.