The year 2025 marks half a century of our country's peaceful reunification - a major historical milestone. Half a century - a long enough period for two generations to grow up, to witness and experience profound changes in history, society and humanity itself.

It is a journey from the early days of rebuilding the country after the war to the strong changes in the renovation process, from a poor, isolated country to a dynamic nation with an increasingly important position in the international arena. The tangible achievements that we witness today are all inevitable results of the journey of persistently seeking and cultivating core values: peace, independence, autonomy and self-reliance.

Recently, when the Party leaders called for a new era - an era of national growth, development and prosperity, we have seen encouraging signs of policy shifts towards a more sustainable and harmonious direction. In addition to the transformation of the economic development model, the State has implemented many comprehensive social security policies. This is not only an economic adjustment but also a shift in development thinking - from simple growth to sustainable and inclusive development.

Notable among them is the policy of exempting all tuition fees for students from kindergarten to high school in public schools nationwide - a very humane step forward, creating equal educational opportunities for all children. According to statistics, the whole country has 23.2 million students (not including students studying at vocational and continuing education centers). When implementing this heartwarming policy, each year, the state budget spends an additional 30,000 billion VND.

Along with that, the program to eliminate temporary and dilapidated houses is being vigorously implemented, with the spirit of not letting anyone live in an unsafe house, only when they have a stable home can they start a career. In particular, from July 1, 2025, our country has added a subsidy level for the elderly - a meaningful reform step in the context of Vietnam being one of the countries with the fastest aging population in the world.

Overall, these policies demonstrate humanity and a comprehensive approach to the majority of people. Tens of millions of students, hundreds of thousands of shelters, and millions of elderly people are the direct beneficiaries of these policies. This is an important shift in the perception of development, when the fruits of growth are shared more equitably among all social classes. This approach not only helps improve people's quality of life but also promotes social consensus, creating conditions for sustainable development in the future.

Experience from developed countries shows that the modern welfare state model is not a comprehensive “subsidy” but rather the building of a social security system that is broad, flexible and sustainable. In Vietnam, we can develop this model based on the foundation of a culture of mutual love, combined with the advantages of a centralized and unified political system. When people see the real concern of the State through practical policies, they will have more confidence and support for the country's development policies and guidelines.

The program to eliminate temporary and dilapidated houses is a typical example of this inclusive development strategy. The program is not simply about building infrastructure, but also an opportunity to promote the spirit of solidarity and mutual love in the community. This is also an opportunity for policy makers to get closer to the people, understand them and serve them better. The newly built houses are not only a testament to the State's concern, but also a symbol of faith and hope for a better future.

By ensuring the right to safe and stable housing, the program also contributes to creating a solid foundation for people to develop their livelihood activities, increase labor productivity and improve their lives. At the same time, eliminating temporary housing also helps improve the quality of the living environment, minimizing health risks and accidents caused by unsafe housing.

This is the comprehensive development approach - when we not only care about growth figures but also focus on the quality of life of each citizen. With the spirit of "For the people", social security policies are increasingly going into depth, creating positive changes in people's lives, contributing to realizing the goal of building a developed, fair and civilized society that we are aiming for.

Looking back on the 50 years of national reunification, we have every right to be proud of what we have achieved in building a nation that is both politically independent, economically developed and socially equitable. The increasingly improved social security system is a clear demonstration of the Party and State’s commitment to “development for the people”.

Shared prosperity is not simply a matter of GDP growth, but also equality in development opportunities, a living space that ensures human dignity, and a fair sharing of development achievements. Through each social security policy issued, we are gradually building a solid foundation for prosperity, where every citizen can confidently contribute to common development and enjoy the fruits of development in a worthy manner.

50 years of national reunification is not only an opportunity for us to look back on the past but also an opportunity to affirm the core values ​​that will continue to guide the country's development in the future: a Vietnam that is not only peaceful, independent, and free but also democratic, fair, and civilized, where all people are guaranteed basic social security rights and always have opportunities for comprehensive development.

Associate Professor, Dr. NGUYEN DUC LOC

Director of the Institute for Social Life Research

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/he-thong-an-sinh-huong-ve-dan-post793317.html