An Giang: Removing bottlenecks to promote socio-economic development for ethnic minority communities.

Numerous "bottlenecks" exist in the implementation of ethnic minority policies.

In the report on "Review and assessment of the implementation of ethnic policies in the period 2021-2025 and proposals and recommendations for ethnic policies in the period 2026-2030 in An Giang province," the leaders of An Giang province acknowledged that, in recent years, An Giang has effectively implemented ethnic policies with the involvement of the entire political system; focusing on supporting production development and investing in infrastructure construction, especially public welfare projects, thereby improving the material and spiritual lives of ethnic minorities, gradually eradicating poverty and stabilizing their lives.

This has created a high level of consensus and further strengthened the trust of ethnic minorities in the Party and State's reform policies. People feel more secure and can focus on investing in production development and expanding businesses to improve their family lives; actively participating in patriotic movements and local campaigns, gradually overcoming the mentality of dependence and reliance, and fostering a spirit of self-reliance and self-improvement that contributes to the overall socio-economic development of the province.

5(2).jpg — Most ethnic minority communities still lack sufficient agricultural land for production.

Alongside the achievements, the People's Committee of An Giang province recognizes many difficulties and obstacles in the implementation of policies for ethnic minorities. Specifically, some contents of ethnic minority programs, projects, and policies have not been implemented synchronously. Some sub-projects lack clear guidelines; coordination between agencies and units in implementing programs and projects is sometimes not tight enough. The management and operation apparatus for the program from the district to the commune level has been established, but the staff mainly work on a part-time basis, and the staff directly implementing the program at the grassroots level are still lacking in capacity and experience.

The leaders of An Giang province also stated that policies are scattered and overlapping, with many programs and projects for ethnic minority areas having duplicated content, lacking coordination, and causing waste of resources. Meanwhile, the capital for implementing policies is limited and does not meet the requirements; the allocation and disbursement of funds are slow and lack coordination…

Funding for policies aimed at ethnic minorities remains modest.

The aforementioned limitations stem from inadequate coordination between central and local ministries and agencies in policy-making; insufficient survey work, leading to vague and impractical policy formulation; a lack of community participation in the policy-making process; and insufficient investigation, statistics, and updating of ethnic data, resulting in policy planning lacking scientific basis and relevance to reality.

Furthermore, ethnic minority areas have a low economic starting point, lacking technical infrastructure, transportation, electricity, water, schools, and health centers. Traditional agricultural production practices are fragmented, heavily dependent on nature, and have difficulty accessing markets. A lack of arable land and stable employment leads to low incomes and difficult living conditions.

Solutions and recommendations

Focusing on raising the intellectual level of ethnic minority communities, especially ethnic minority students, is an important and long-term task.

To ensure the effectiveness of policies for ethnic minorities in the 2026-2030 period, An Giang province leaders believe that long-term, comprehensive solutions are needed. In particular, forecasting the situation of ethnic minority areas in the province up to 2030 is crucial; based on this, the province can develop appropriate policies for socio-economic development in ethnic minority areas; preserve and promote the beautiful cultural identity of ethnic groups, combat social evils; raise the general level of education, train human resources, especially ethnic minority cadres, to meet the development requirements of the new era; and make a significant contribution to achieving social progress and equity, aiming to achieve the goal of "leaving no one behind".

To achieve the above objectives, departments, agencies, and commune-level government leaders need to focus on building socio-economic development infrastructure for ethnic minority areas; focus on vocational training and job creation; implement policies on capital and credit; and focus on health, population, education, and culture for ethnic minorities.

Successfully implementing the three national target programs is a way to improve the material and spiritual lives of ethnic minority people.

Focus on effectively implementing three national target programs to improve the living standards of ethnic minority communities, especially in remote, mountainous, and border areas. Implement effectively Resolution No. 13-NQ/TW, dated April 2, 2022, of the Politburo on the direction of socio-economic development and ensuring national defense and security in the Mekong Delta region until 2030, with a vision to 2045.

Developing a green economy, high-tech agriculture, and sustainable ecotourism includes: Transforming agricultural production structures to suit the mountainous terrain and climate; developing areas for cultivating valuable medicinal plants, combined with community tourism; promoting the One Commune One Product (OCOP) program linked to distinctive products of ethnic minorities; and exploiting the potential of ecotourism and spiritual and cultural tourism while preserving natural landscapes.

2(5).jpg — More resources are needed to develop the culture and preserve the cultural identity of ethnic minority communities. (Photo: Phuong Vu)

Investing in socio-cultural development policies in areas with large ethnic minority populations, preserving and promoting the cultural identity of ethnic groups and strengthening community solidarity; preserving the Khmer-Cham-Hoa cultural space; supporting the development of traditional crafts and folk arts. Integrating ethnic cultures with tourism development and educating the younger generation about traditions of solidarity and patriotism.

Improving the quality of human resources and creating sustainable livelihoods for ethnic minorities. Simultaneously, effectively implementing national health programs. Promptly addressing the legitimate requests and aspirations of religious groups and their religious activities in accordance with the law. Supporting and guiding the Patriotic Buddhist Monks' Solidarity Association and the Chinese Mutual Aid Associations at the grassroots level to operate in accordance with the law and their respective regulations.

It is necessary to strengthen political security and social order in ethnic minority areas, and maintain border security. (Photo: Tien Vinh)

Strengthening communication efforts, raising awareness and capacity for digital transformation among the people, with the policy of "Digital literacy for the masses"; supporting ethnic minority communities in accessing information on science and technology; encouraging children to actively study to improve their intellectual level...

In particular, Vice Chairman of the An Giang Provincial People's Committee Le Van Phuoc emphasized the need to strengthen political security and social order in ethnic minority areas, maintain border security, and consolidate national unity. He stressed the importance of building a peaceful, friendly, and cooperative border for mutual development with neighboring countries. He also highlighted the need to leverage the role of influential figures among ethnic minorities in disseminating information and mobilizing the people to comply with policies and laws, and to eradicate superstition and outdated customs.

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