The survey will collect information about population; infrastructure access; economic situation; poverty, social welfare; culture, society; education, training and human resource development; health care and rural environmental hygiene; officers; open immigration; religion; and rural security, of the target groups.

The quinquennial census is conducted on July 1 of years ending in 4 or 9. The first one, funded from the State budget, will be carried out in the first quarter of this year.

PM Dung asked the Committee on Ethnic Minority Affairs (CEMA) to follow up, monitor, receive and use the census results, as well as collecting information about the socio-economic situation of 53 ethnic minority groups from the General Statistics Office (GSO).

The GSO was required to work with the CEMA and relevant agencies to collect necessary information for their surveys, define required criteria and devise working and financial plans for the activity. The GSO was also assigned to conduct the activity and hand over the results to the CEMA as regulated.

The scheme is necessary as it evaluates the communities’ development in comparison with the country's and equality among groups.

The results will help build policies related to ethnic minority groups, encouraging and supporting them promote their internal strengths and narrow the development gap.

By Vien Nhu