TABLE 15. Prioritised response measures of social groups Priority rankings
Group of local poor people
Group of migrant workers
Group of migrant selfemployed labourers
Group of local selfemployed labourers
Group of retired cadres
Group of workers and officials with low/medium income
1
Buy cheaper foods
Reduce electricity usage
Buy cheaper foods
Reduce electricity usage
Reduce electricity usage
Reduce personal expenditure
2
Reduce electricity usage
Reduce personal expenditure
Reduce monthly savings
Reduce gas usage
Reduce personal expenditure
Reduce electricity usage
3
Reduce consumed food amount
Cut down the money sent to their family
Find new job with higher income
Reduce personal expenditure
Reduce consumed food amount
Change the way of travel for cost saving
4
Reduce cost for medical services
Do extra hours/shifts
Reduce consumed food amount
Buy cheaper foods
Reduce monthly savings
Increase cooking at home and reduce eating out
5
Reduce cost for social relations
Reduce monthly savings
Change the way of travel for cost saving
Increase cooking at home and reduce eating out
Reduce gas usage
Reduce consumed food amount
Source: Discussions of social groups at surveyed areas, May of 2011. Many people in the group of poor households and low income people have to consider the amount of money available before going to the market ahead of time. Due to fixed amount of money for foods, when prices increase, they have to buy cheaper foods or reduce the amount of bought foods. --- “When buying meat, poor people and workers often tell me in advance the amount of money used to buy meat, for example 20 or 30 thousand Vietnam dong, instead of telling me the volume. Sometimes, if the cut meat volume is a little bit heavier than the ordered one, some people ask me to cut out the redundant part because they just have a fixed money amount for meat. This year, the number of customers who are willing to buy 1 or 2 kilos of meat decreases sharply. In past years, in a day, I received some customers willing to buy kilos of meat, but at present, I just have 1 or 2 such customers per day�. (V.T.T, meat seller at Dam Trieu Market, Quan Tru Ward, Kien An, Hai Phong city)
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