Equitability in Access to Rural Public Services in Vietnam: An Outlook from the Red River Delta

Abstract

In the transition to a market oriented economy, rural public services in Vietnam are moving towards decentralization. public service users now have to pay for service fees, instead of an existing provision where the services were provided at no cost. This paper attempts to answer the questions of how people in rural areas in Vietnam receive services provided by government institutions with respect to their contributions to the government budget, and, how equitability in benefiting rural public services in different groups of people is explored. This will be done by looking closer at basic public services (i.e., education and healthcare) in the Red River Delta, a dynamic and prioritized economic region in Northern Vietnam. It is considered an area with well-equipped public services compared to other rural areas in Vietnam. The empirical findings from the public services in the Red River Delta are good policy implications for those in other rural areas in Vietnam.Key words: Rural public services; Accessibility; Equity; Red River Delta; Vietnam