NARROWING GAP BETWEEN RICH AND POOR

(The Saigontimes) – According to  govermental reports,  in current the average Vietnamese GDP per capital is 1.200 USD/year, specifically 2.800 USD in Hochiminh city. The GDP expansion targets in 2015  at  2.100 USD per capital for the whole country,  and  at 4.800 in hochiminh city in particular. ( cited : Draft documents of Party Congresses at all levels).

If these aboved figures are exactly, it will mean that the average income per vietnamse will be 100 USD per month, equivalent to 3,3 USD/per day (# 65.000 VND). This showing is in comparing to the gobal poverty line of 2 USD per person per day, if we divide income equally among capita, we noted that in theory our nation will have no poor people. And similarily, average income of each Hochiminh resident is 233 USD per month (4.5 million VND), equivalent to 7.7 USD per day (150.000 VND per day).

The analysis of these supposed calculation to reveal a reality that currently our nation have more than 10 millions people (about 12 per cent of population) with income of less than 9.000 VND(0,45 USD) per day, living under national poverty line!. And it is definitely, in reverse, in society there are some very rich people, event they have their own air-plane and luxurious car which is the most expensive one in the world)

This adversity show that the gap between the poor and the rich are widened ominously day by day. According to pulished data, in 1994 the disproportion between rich and poor in Viet nam is 4,1 times (with comparing to income, living standard between 20 per centt of richest and 20 per cent of poorest)

In 1999, this inequality rises up to 7.6 times; in 2001 of 8,1 times and in 2008 spreading over 34,4 times. While the imbalance between rich and poor in United State in 2009 records at a highest rate of 14,5 times (SGGP, 4-10-2010). It is reveal that the gap between rich and poor in viet nam is twice higher than United state- the leader of capitalism countries in the world.

In an economy operating to market mechanisms, no one expected to have a rake in  income as equally dividing poverty. However, once the rich-poor gap widened  uncontrolling, the management at the macro economy definitely has problems, corrective measures should be taken immediately! Because from ancient times until today, the state "who all eat, who was not " always hidden some social risk of instability and unpredictable.

By SaiGonTimes

Translated by Khanh Linh