Vietnam earmarks 503 billion VND for Lunar New Year gifts to war veterans

HANOI, Vietnam – More than 1.65 million people who contributed to the revolution will receive gifts from the President for the 2026 Lunar New Year, according to new guidelines from the Ministry of Home Affairs.

The government has allocated nearly 503 billion VND from the state budget to fund the program for the upcoming Year of the Horse.

Under the new regulations, each eligible individual will receive a single gift. If a recipient qualifies under multiple categories, they will be granted the gift with the highest value.

The ministry's directive also provides specific instructions for distributing gifts to the relatives of martyrs and those responsible for the ritual worship of martyrs.

Provincial and municipal authorities are required to complete the gift distribution by Jan. 31, 2026. The Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Public Security will oversee the program for individuals under their respective jurisdictions.

Local governments must submit a final report on the distribution results to the Ministry of Home Affairs by Feb. 15, 2026.

HANOI — The Vietnamese government’s annual distribution of Lunar New Year (Tet) stipends to "meritorious citizens" functions as a critical instrument of statecraft, carrying political and social weight that far exceeds its nominal economic impact. With a budget of approximately 503 billion VND ($20 million) allocated for 1.65 million recipients, the individual payouts average a modest 300,000 VND. However, this expenditure is a strategic policy tool designed to fortify state legitimacy and maintain cohesion with the demographic groups that form the regime’s foundational support base.

The designation of "those with meritorious service to the revolution" is a specific political identity, encompassing veterans, families of fallen soldiers, and those who served the current administration during past conflicts. By preserving these preferential policies, the state reaffirms its official historical narrative and the central role of the Communist Party.

Furthermore, the granular administrative framework governing these payouts—ranging from strict eligibility criteria within families to rigorous reporting protocols—points to a top-down welfare system. Rather than representing a universal social safety net, the program operates as a form of state-directed benevolence. Ultimately, these holiday stipends serve as both a social security measure and a symbolic act of recognition, intended to cement loyalty and honor sacrifice in alignment with state objectives.

This policy holds no direct impact for the Vietnamese-American community. The term “meritorious service to the revolution” applies exclusively to individuals recognized by the Hanoi government for their role on the winning side of the Vietnam War. Consequently, this update is irrelevant to the majority of the diaspora—from the families in Little Saigon to the entrepreneurs in the nail salon industry—whose roots lie with the former Republic of Vietnam. For most, this news does not affect daily concerns like remittances or F2B and H-1B visa processing; rather, it serves as a reminder of the deep historical and political divide that remains between those in-country and the community abroad.