National Assembly Delegate: Focus resources to help ethnic minorities develop the economy

The national target program on socio-economic development in ethnic minority and mountainous areas for the 2021-2030 period has completed phase 1 (2021-2025) and achieved many positive results.

Sharing with reporters on the sidelines of the 10th session of the 15th National Assembly, delegate Bo Thi Xuan Linh ( Lam Dong delegation) pointed out the points that need attention to more effectively implement this program in the coming period.

Need to conduct a field survey

- Madam, from the practice of phase 1 of the National Target Program on Socio-Economic Development in Ethnic Minority and Mountainous Areas, what are the limitations that need to be overcome and adjusted to be able to implement the program more effectively in the coming period?

Delegate Bo Thi Xuan Linh: After 5 years of implementation, the national target program for socio-economic development in ethnic minority and mountainous areas has achieved many positive results, helping to improve the lives of people in remote areas, from physical facilities and housing to economy, life, culture, health care and education .

However, the implementation process also revealed many limitations. Specifically, the program spent too much money on training and propaganda.

Training and propaganda are good to raise awareness, to implement the program more effectively, but many departments, branches and governing bodies organize their own training, leading to overlapping subjects. If we coordinate and organize together, we will save money to allocate to specific, practical contents, such as increasing the level of support for households to build more sustainable houses, or buying land for poor households.

In the coming time, there needs to be close coordination between ministries to allocate specific resources, close to each locality. It is necessary to conduct field surveys to review support policies accordingly.

Delegate Bo Thi Xuan Linh speaks at the discussion group. (Photo: PV/Vietnam+)

For example, the issue of eliminating temporary houses and dilapidated houses, is the support level of 60 million VND for a household appropriate? Is it enough to build a sustainable house? Meanwhile, building a house requires a lot of costs, not only building but also first raising the ground.

I think the level of support should be raised higher and should vary depending on the conditions of each region. In remote areas, the terrain is difficult, transportation is long and difficult, causing the price of construction materials to increase, not as much as in the lowlands. Therefore, the standard for building houses in mountainous areas, remote areas should also be higher to reassure people. They are already poor, have no money, no resources, if they borrow, it will be an additional burden for the family.

Many poor households do not even have land to support building houses. So whether or not to support poor households to buy land to build houses is also a question that needs to be raised.

Next, environmental sanitation issues also need more attention, especially ensuring water resources. In addition, there are policies to support people's livelihoods so that they can proactively escape poverty sustainably, become self-reliant, and stabilize their lives, such as supporting cattle breeding, giving fishing rods instead of fish.

Prioritize investment in education

- One of the key projects of the program is to preserve and promote the fine traditional cultural values of ethnic minorities in association with tourism development. How do you evaluate this project?

Delegate Bo Thi Xuan Linh : This is also one of the issues that still faces many difficulties. In recent times, localities have been reviewing historical sites and cultural characteristics of ethnic minorities, trying to supplement resources for construction, preservation and development.

However, the spiritual life of children in ethnic minority areas is more disadvantaged than in advantaged areas due to the lack of playgrounds. Traditional craft villages have not received proper investment, especially in terms of output. Ethnic cultural identities are therefore at risk of being lost.

Preserving and promoting national cultural identity is of great significance in the economic and social development of ethnic minority areas. (Photo: PV/Vietnam+)

In particular, I think that the point that needs special attention is the language and writing of ethnic minorities. Currently, many teachers of ethnic languages are old and retired, so it is necessary to train young teachers to continue teaching students, preserving the writing and language of the people.

- The Government has decided to merge three national target programs including: New Rural Development, Sustainable Poverty Reduction, Socio-Economic Development in Ethnic Minority Areas into one common national target program. What is your assessment of this policy?

Delegate Bo Thi Xuan Linh : In the coming period, we have many advantages but also many difficulties. The country is facing many challenges such as severe floods and natural disasters. Remote and isolated areas that are already difficult will now face even more difficulties.

The merger of three national target programs is a very correct decision to overcome overlapping content, help concentrate resources, and is suitable for the context of two-level local government. At the same time, it is suitable for the fact that we will add a number of other national target programs on health, culture, and education in the coming time.

After the merger, it is necessary to carefully and specifically review the goals and projects of each program to make appropriate adjustments, eliminate duplicate content to focus resources on important and practical content. I hope this adjustment will help ethnic minorities have a stable life and escape poverty sustainably.

In particular, it is necessary to prioritize investment in education, creating all conditions for children of ethnic minorities to go to school, study well so that they can later become quality human resources serving the locality. In addition, it is necessary to ensure the preservation and promotion of indigenous cultural values, develop spiritual life and provide good health care for the people.

- Thank you very much!./.

(Vietnam+)

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/national-congress-delegate-helps-minority-people-help-develop-economic-post1075984.vnp