The figures were reported at a regular briefing by the Dak Lak People's Committee on October 6.
The funding is being distributed under Resolution 05 of the provincial People's Council. More than VND600 billion was allocated for seeds, livestock and other costs to help residents in affected areas resume production. Local authorities have disbursed more than VND207 billion.
However, 44 of the 65 local authorities proposed returning more than VND155 billion earmarked for livestock support. About VND237 billion is still being reviewed while officials complete the paperwork needed to identify recipients and make payments.
Dang Thi Thuy, deputy director of Dak Lak's Department of Agriculture and Environment, said the delays were caused by difficulties verifying eligible recipients and the scale of the damage.
She said many small households had not registered their livestock. After the disaster, officials have struggled to establish the number and age of the animals and the extent of the damage. She cited households that kept 10 to 20 chickens or several dozen ducks.
"When a disaster occurs, it becomes difficult to establish the number and age of the animals and the extent of the damage. The agriculture department has issued several instructions and sent staff to local areas to help verify household livestock and provide aid to eligible recipients," she said.
According to the department, some damaged farmland is on illegally occupied land, forest land or plots that do not meet the conditions for a land-use-rights certificate. In some cases, residents had already restored the land or planted a new crop, making it difficult for officials to compare the paperwork with the actual damage.
Dao My, deputy chairman of the Dak Lak People's Committee, acknowledged that disbursement progress varies between local authorities. He said the main task is to identify eligible recipients correctly because some local authorities are reluctant to pay without confirmation that applicants qualify.
He instructed the Department of Agriculture and Environment to continue reviewing the paperwork and advising local authorities so that the aid reaches eligible recipients.
Nearly a year after the disaster, hundreds of billions of dong are still under review. Some residents are waiting for the funds to resume production.
Under Resolution 05/NQ-HĐND, more than VND600 billion was provided from three sources: VND374 billion from the central budget, VND23 billion from the provincial budget and more than VND203 billion in donations. More than VND405 billion was earmarked for crops, about VND115 billion for livestock and about VND80.5 billion for aquaculture.
Sources: Dân Trí
