Prioritizing investment for ethnic minority areas

The National Target Program for Socio-Economic Development of Ethnic Minorities and Mountainous Areas for the 2021–2030 Period (referred to as the Program) was approved by the Prime Minister on October 4, 2021.

After more than 3 years of implementation, the program has contributed to changing the face of highland hamlets and villages in the province by focusing on investing in building rural infrastructure, solving urgent needs for residential land, housing, production land, and domestic water, creating livelihoods for ethnic minorities, supporting vocational training, creating jobs, preserving intangible cultural values, building cultural designs for villages and hamlets, etc.

People of Dong Son commune, Tan Son district, rejoice on the inauguration day of Suoi Cai Bridge (May 24, 2024).

Practical effectiveness

Up to 80% of the population are ethnic minorities. Since implementing the program, Tan Son district has invested in 73 essential infrastructure projects, including rural roads, intra-field traffic, irrigation, and cultural houses in 17 extremely difficult communes in Area 2, Area 1, with a total investment of nearly VND89 billion.

Mr. Nguyen Xuan Toan, Chairman of Tan Son District People’s Committee, said: In the period of 2021–2023, the program has invested and put into operation 31 works, including 19 rural roads, 9 cultural houses, 2 spillways across streams, and a system of intra-field canals. The synchronously invested works contribute to serving the living and production needs of the people, creating momentum for socio-economic development in the locality, and contributing to ensuring social security and sustainable poverty reduction.

According to the report of the Provincial Ethnic Committee, in 2022 and 2023, the province has invested in the construction of 123 traffic works, 8 irrigation works, 26 school works, 4 medical works, and a number of other works for communes and villages in mountainous and particularly difficult areas. The invested infrastructure works have created a new look for the mountainous rural areas, creating an important basis for completing the criteria for new rural construction. By the end of 2023, the poverty rate in ethnic minority and mountainous areas will decrease by 2%.

Thanks to promoting infrastructure investment, supporting economic development, and prioritizing difficult areas, up until now, infrastructure in ethnic minority areas has been invested in and built, gradually meeting the requirements of socio-economic development. Jobs have been created for tens of thousands of working-age workers with stable incomes. Attention is paid to the investment and solidification of transport infrastructure, creating favorable conditions for people to travel and goods to circulate. Other welfare works are renovated and renewed.

Infrastructure and education quality are consolidated and improved, ensuring teaching and learning standards for students. Medical facilities do a good job of emergency response, care and protection, and improving people’s health. Information and propaganda work is given special attention. Culture and sports are widely developed.

Every year, the rate of residential areas achieving cultural residential areas and families achieving cultural family standards is increasing. Cultural relics and heritages are preserved and developed in association with tourism, creating a sustainable foundation for the development of traditional cultural values.

The final stages of completing the Long Coc-Xuan Dai route. (Photo taken on June 5, 2024.)

Strive to achieve the set goals.

Along with the important achievements, after more than 3 years of implementing the program, the target of reducing the poverty rate has not been achieved compared to the set plan. The disbursement rate for public capital sources is still low. Some projects and sub-projects are still limited in the implementation organization stage, some regulations on support levels are still low, and the prescribed subjects are still limited. Currently, the implementation of Project 1 in some units is still slow, even though the guidance mechanism has been fully issued. So far, public capital sources have not been disbursed.

Propaganda and communication work on the support contents of the project is still limited; a number of policy enforcement officers at the commune and residential area levels have not yet grasped the specific support contents; and a number of people have not yet fully understood their rights regarding the support contents of the project. There are still cases of beneficiaries missing the review due to an incorrect understanding of the support objects and support conditions of the project’s contents. Mobilizing social resources still faces many difficulties.

In 2024, Phu Tho province will have nearly VND470 billion from capital sources to implement the program. Of which the capital will be used according to the 2024 plan and the extended capital plan for 2022 and 2023. The goals set for this year are: 100% of households will have access to the national grid and other suitable power sources; over 96% of people will have access to clean water; 100% of 5-year-old kindergarten students will go to school. 99.3% of primary school students will go to school at the right age; 99.2% of lower secondary school students will go to school; and 98% of high school students will go to school. 99% of people aged 15 and over will be able to read and write fluently in Mandarin; strive to have over 45% of ethnic minority workers of working age receive vocational training suitable to their needs and conditions; 74.9% of villages and hamlets will have community houses. 38.2% of villages and hamlets have traditional cultural and artistic teams that operate regularly and with quality. ..

Mr. Cam Ha Chung, Head of the Provincial Ethnic Minorities Committee, said: The program with 10 component projects helps solve social security issues, stabilize the population, and improve the quality of life of the people, aiming at the goal of gradually transforming the economic structure, organizing production, and contributing to sustainable poverty reduction in mountainous, remote, and isolated areas. With such great significance, since its implementation, the program has always received the attention of the entire political system and the consensus and support of the people of all ethnic groups in the province. The programs, projects, and ethnic policies implemented have been effective, ensuring publicity, transparency, and the right purpose and target.

To achieve the set goals, first of all, it is necessary to have the drastic participation of party committees at all levels, authorities, and the consensus of the people. In particular, the Provincial Ethnic Committee is the agency that presides over, advises, and assists the Steering Committee in advising on the implementation of a number of specific mechanisms and policies for the implementation of the National Target Programs.

At the same time, review beneficiaries of projects and sub-projects, determine funding, propose plans, advise the Provincial People’s Council to decide on adjustments, strengthen inspection and supervision work, and submit to the government for permission for Phu Tho province to adjust the target of reducing the poverty rate of ethnic minority households from 2% to 1.2% to suit the reality of the province when applying the multidimensional poverty standard for the period 2022-2025.

It can be seen that after more than 3 years of implementation, the program has significantly contributed to improving the material and spiritual lives, changing the appearance of places with many difficulties for ethnic minorities in the area. This will be the foundation for the province to continue to implement the program more effectively in the coming time.

Thuy Hang