Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh announced that the average monthly salary for workers in Vietnam reached nearly VND 9 million (approximately USD 360) in 2024, marking an increase from the previous year. Additionally, the average Tet bonus for Lunar New Year 2025 was VND 7.72 million (around USD 310), up 13% compared to last year’s Tet bonus.

On February 3, the first working day after the Lunar New Year holiday, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh chaired a government meeting to assess the holiday period and outline key post-Tet priorities.

Celebrating 95 years of the Communist Party of Vietnam

The meeting coincided with the 95th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of Vietnam. Reflecting on this milestone, Prime Minister Chinh emphasized that over the past 95 years, the Party has led the nation from colonial oppression to independence, defended national sovereignty, and successfully carried out economic and social reforms, achieving historic accomplishments.

He also highlighted Vietnam’s growing international stature, stating that "our country has never had such a strong foundation, potential, position, and global influence as it does today."

On this occasion, the Prime Minister underscored the importance of modernizing Party leadership methods. He noted that the establishment of the Government Party Committee, with approximately 270,000 members, marks the first such development in the Party’s 95-year history.

Tet bonuses and social welfare support rise

Reviewing this year’s Tet holiday, the Prime Minister noted improvements in social welfare, with higher salaries and bonuses for workers.

Notably, the government provided Tet gifts and financial assistance to 13.5 million people, accounting for over 13% of Vietnam’s population. The total aid budget reached nearly VND 8 trillion (approximately USD 320 million). An additional 3.8 million elderly individuals, underprivileged children, and socially disadvantaged groups received Tet support worth nearly VND 2.6 trillion (about USD 104 million).

Key highlights of the government’s Tet support program include:

Over 1.1 million elderly citizens received celebratory gifts worth nearly VND 700 billion (USD 28 million).

More than 445,000 disadvantaged children were given support totaling over VND 196 billion (USD 7.8 million).

Nearly 1.48 million low-income and near-poor households received aid valued at nearly VND 800 billion (USD 32 million).

Over 1.3 million social welfare recipients were gifted support amounting to nearly VND 1 trillion (USD 40 million).

Assistance for people with revolutionary contributions and their families totaled approximately VND 2.8 trillion (USD 112 million), an increase of VND 59 billion (USD 2.4 million) from last year.

Additionally, the Prime Minister issued five decisions providing nearly 7,000 tons of rice to 10 provinces, along with VND 5.53 trillion (USD 221 million) in financial aid, 1,000 tons of rice, 629 tons of crop seeds, and 90,000 liters of disinfectant chemicals for agricultural use.

Housing and community support programs expand

In the spirit of nationwide solidarity, many localities launched initiatives to eliminate temporary and dilapidated housing. As a result, nearly 7,000 new homes were built for people with revolutionary contributions, and 35,466 households benefited from housing support programs. In Lao Cai province, three new resettlement areas - Lang Nu, Nam Tong, and Kho Vang - were completed on schedule.

Traffic safety improves during Tet

The number of traffic accidents, fatalities, and injuries during the nine-day Tet holiday declined compared to previous years. The Prime Minister attributed this improvement to the effectiveness of Decree 168, which regulates stricter traffic safety measures. He emphasized that even a small reduction in fatalities is a meaningful achievement.

Post-Tet priorities: Infrastructure and economic reforms

Looking ahead, the Prime Minister outlined 13 key focus areas and 67 specific tasks for government ministries and local authorities to implement immediately after the holiday.

These include:

Preparing legislative proposals for the upcoming National Assembly session.

Completing ongoing strategic infrastructure projects, including railways and energy facilities such as nuclear power plants.

Ensuring safe, meaningful, and cost-effective organization of post-Tet festivals while preventing superstition and extravagance.

Prime Minister Chinh called on government officials to maintain a determined and results-driven approach: "We must think clearly, act decisively, and achieve concrete results. If we make a commitment, we must deliver."

Thu Hang