Prioritizing resources for infrastructure investment in ethnic minority areas

Previously, in the mountainous district of Yen Lap, when mentioning places like Nhoi, Dang, Bop, Gay, and Dong Mang- which seemed distant and isolated- most people were reluctant to visit.

Prioritizing resources for infrastructure investment in ethnic minority areas aims to bridge the regional gap, transforming the appearance of Yen Lap’s mountainous district into a more modern and spacious area.

Infrastructure comes first.

Previously, traveling from the center of Yen Lap district to the Sau Khe area of Trung Son commune took an entire day, requiring multiple modes of transportation, including walking. Therefore, this isolated land in the upper reaches of Ngoi Gianh is even more remote and isolated. Now, the road from Xuan An, over Cong Gioi slope to Trung Son, 14.2 km long, and the road from Trung Son commune center along Ngoi Gianh lake, over Tong Nhat mountain, Tranh Yen mountain to Sau Khe area, 15 km long, have been paved with asphalt and concrete, flat and wide. "Thanks to the road, the lives of the people here are now much different. Difficulties no longer hinder the people." Vice Chairman of Trung Son commune Phung Xuan Lien welcomed us with a very firm handshake and joy when talking about the new roads.

After the completion of the Ngoi Gianh Reservoir project (with a designed capacity of nearly 37 million m3) in 2023, the Provincial People’s Committee also upgraded the main road from Xuan An to Trung Son, making travel much easier. Thanks to the Ngoi Gianh reservoir and the new road, from its isolated location in the mountains and forests, Trung Son has welcomed many travel groups to learn about and organize community tours and ecotourism, something that people in this remote area did not dare to dream of before.

Investing in solid concrete bridges to replace culverts and spillways across streams not only facilitates travel but also provides a crucial foundation for the socio-economic development of villages and hamlets in the Sau Khe area of Trung Son commune, Yen Lap district.

In addition to the investment programs and projects by the province and central ministries, Yen Lap district has allocated capital to implement 116 projects under the National Target Program for Socio-Economic Development of Ethnic Minority and Mountainous Areas (Program 1719), approved by the Prime Minister on October 4, 2021. Of these, 63 are traffic infrastructure projects, while the remainder includes essential infrastructure projects such as cultural houses, medical stations, schools, and irrigation works. Inter-village and inter-village roads, especially bridges replacing culverts, and overflows across streams and canals have been completed, making the travel of people in general and students in particular much more convenient. Thanks to that, the policy of merging separate schools has been implemented quite well. The potential of forestry economy is also better exploited.

With the investment resources of the State, many new roads in Xuan Vien commune have been opened thanks to the joint efforts and the people’s willingness to donate land to open roads.

Completing infrastructure to improve people's lives

Since 2021, the total planned capital for investing in essential infrastructure to serve production and daily life in ethnic minority and mountainous areas, as well as public service units in Yen Lap district, exceeds VND114 billion, of which more than VND105 billion has been disbursed, representing 92.5%. From the above capital source, the District Construction Investment Management Board and localities in the area have invested in the construction and maintenance of 63 traffic infrastructure works; 5 projects to build classrooms; build and upgrade dozens of cultural houses and community activity houses in especially difficult villages and hamlets; renovate and upgrade medical stations; and invest in building, renovating, and upgrading the market network in ethnic minority and mountainous areas in Ngoc Dong and Xuan Vien communes... In particular, the program has also shown clear effectiveness with ethnic policies being implemented correctly, sufficiently, and promptly, helping to stabilize and improve the quality of life of the people, especially ethnic minorities.

By the end of 2024, the average income per capita in Yen Lap reached VND45 million/year; poor households decreased by 1.53% (exceeding the plan by 0.03%); near-poor households decreased by 1.55% (exceeding the plan by 0.55%); the rate of rural residents using clean and hygienic water reached 97.05% (increasing by 1.05% compared to the plan and increasing by 0.15% over the same period); 100% of ethnic minorities participated in health insurance; 100% of health stations are solidly built, and 100% of communes have asphalt or concrete roads for cars to the center... School and classroom infrastructure is invested in construction to ensure conditions and standards for teaching and learning of current students and teachers and to a higher orientation. Cultural and sports activities are widely developed; quality is improved.

Talking to Phu Tho Newspaper, comrade Ha Viet Hung, Deputy Secretary of the District Party Committee and Chairman of Yen Lap District People’s Committee, said: In the capital structure for implementing Program 1719 of Yen Lap up to now, the capital for investing in essential infrastructure, serving production and life in ethnic minority and mountainous areas has been disbursed the best with 92.5%. That shows that, for a locality with limited resources like Yen Lap, mobilizing capital from the Central and the province is extremely important, especially in investing in infrastructure such as roads, electricity, and other civil works. In particular, the investment in essential infrastructure serving production and life in ethnic minority and mountainous areas in Yen Lap in recent times has shown that this is a fundamental and sustainable solution to shorten the gap between regions, arouse, and strongly promote the internal strength of ethnic minority and mountainous areas on the development journey.

In the future, to continue effectively implementing the program, the district will focus on promoting awareness, closely monitoring progress, and implementing capital mobilization, inspection, and supervision. Investments will prioritize key areas and beneficiaries, addressing the most urgent socio-economic infrastructure and production challenges for the people. In 2025, Sub-project 4 (investment in essential infrastructure, serving production and life in ethnic minority and mountainous areas and public service units in the ethnic sector) has been allocated VND33 billion, focusing on investment and construction of new roads to commune centers, inter-commune roads, and bridges connecting communes in region III and extremely disadvantaged villages.

Dinh Vu