The working delegation of the Ministry of Ethnic Minorities and Religions visited and worked in Lai Chau province

Working with the delegation were Mr. Tong Thanh Hai - Permanent Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee; representatives of the Departments: Ethnicity and Religion, Finance, Home Affairs, Education and Training, Agriculture and Environment, Culture, Sports and Tourism, Justice, Provincial Police, Provincial People's Committee Office; representatives of the People's Committee and Head of the Department of Culture - Society, Tan Phong Ward, Ta Leng Commune.

At the working session, the representative of the Department of Ethnic Minorities and Religions reported to the Working Group on ethnic and religious work when implementing the 2-level local government model in the province. Accordingly, the 2-level local government model will come into operation from July 1, 2025. After more than two months of implementation, the operation of the model has been trusted, agreed upon, and supported by the people of all ethnic groups in the province in the above policy of the Central Government. It is not only a change in model, people, and organization, but more deeply, a change in thinking and working methods, towards a professional, modern administration, taking people as the center of service. At the agencies and administrative units in the province, the working atmosphere took place urgently and seriously with the spirit of "new thinking - new actions - serving the people".

The Provincial People's Committee has issued documents directing the implementation of a number of tasks of the commune-level government when ending the district-level administrative unit, arranging the commune-level administrative unit, and organizing the 2-level local government. Including decentralization and delegation of authority for the content of Approval, amendment, and supplementation of the list of communes in areas III, II, I and recognition of particularly difficult villages in ethnic minority and mountainous areas in the period of 2021 - 2025. At the same time, directing the implementation of legal documents on ethnic and religious fields in the whole province to ensure timeliness and compliance with regulations. Has issued guidelines on the functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure of the Department of Culture and Society under the People's Committees of communes and wards in Lai Chau province.

Provincial Police leaders spoke at the meeting.

Pursuant to Resolution No. 01/NQ-HDND dated February 20, 2025 of the Provincial People's Council on merging and establishing specialized agencies under the People's Committee of Lai Chau province, the Department of Ethnic Minorities and Religions was established and put into operation from March 1, 2025.

For commune level: The number of assigned positions related to the field of ethnicity and religion is 119; of which, 02 Chairmen of the People's Committee and 38 Vice Chairmen of the People's Committee are in charge of ethnic affairs, 24 department heads, 20 deputy department heads and 35 specialists, of which 61 civil servants are ethnic minorities, 100% of civil servants are assigned to concurrently perform ethnic and religious affairs.

The assignment, decentralization and coordination mechanism between agencies and functional units related to ethnic and religious work after the organization of the provincial and commune-level government apparatus will be deployed to ensure the performance of tasks.

The work of propagating the Party and State's guidelines and policies through the implementation and dissemination of documents to all cadres, party members, civil servants, public employees, workers and all people in the province aims to create consensus and implement the two-level local government in the past time. In particular, the implementation of propaganda and mobilization activities, grasping the situation and resolving cases with ethnic and religious factors after the merger and adjustment of provincial and commune-level administrative units has been closely and resolutely directed by the Provincial Party Committee and the Provincial People's Committee to all levels of branches to implement methodically, proactively and effectively.

As of July 2025, in the province, there are 34/38 communes, wards, 397/956 villages, hamlets and residential groups with religions. Ethnic minorities and religious dignitaries and followers always believe in the Party and State's guidelines and policies, actively participate in social movements and activities in the area.

The province has also actively directed the implementation of the National Target Program on socio-economic development in ethnic minority and mountainous areas for the period 2021 - 2025. It is estimated that by the end of 2025, 15 targets will be achieved and exceeded, including: Car roads to commune centers; medical stations; schools; electricity; domestic water; watching television and listening to radio; planning, arranging, relocating, and stabilizing residential areas; the rate of students at all levels going to school; eliminating illiteracy; training workers; building community houses; villages with cultural and artistic teams...

At the meeting, Lai Chau province proposed a number of contents such as: Requesting the Ministry of Ethnic Minorities and Religions to coordinate with the Ministry of Home Affairs to propose additional staffing levels for ethnic and religious affairs at the provincial and communal levels to meet the requirements of assigned tasks. Quickly organize training and professional development on ethnic and religious affairs for civil servants at the grassroots level after restructuring the organizational apparatus...

Discussing at the working session, members of the working delegation and representatives of leaders of several departments, branches and localities focused on a number of issues related to ethnic and religious work in the area...

Comrade Tong Thanh Hai - Permanent Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee spoke at the meeting.

Speaking at the meeting, Comrade Tong Thanh Hai - Permanent Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee emphasized: In recent times, Lai Chau province has been effectively implementing policies, especially policies to preserve, promote and maintain the cultural identity of ethnic groups, improving the lives of people in ethnic minority areas in the area. In the coming time, the province will continue to research, develop and promulgate policies related to the lives of people and ethnic minority areas; actively direct and strengthen the propaganda work of the Party's guidelines and policies and laws of the State on ethnic and religious affairs; strengthen training, fostering and coaching on ethnic and religious affairs for cadres and civil servants. At the same time, implement national target programs to improve people's lives, especially in ethnic minority areas; strengthen the work of stabilizing the population, ensuring political security and social order and safety in the area.

Comrade Nguyen Hai Trung - Deputy Minister of Ethnic Minorities and Religions delivered a concluding speech at the working session.

Concluding the meeting, Mr. Nguyen Hai Trung - Deputy Minister of Ethnic Minorities and Religions acknowledged and commended the efforts and results achieved by Lai Chau province in implementing ethnic and religious affairs when implementing the 2-level local government model. In particular, the province promptly issued policies related to the religious field, completed the directive documents of the Central Government, ministries and branches for effective implementation to communes and wards.

He suggested that in the coming time, all levels and sectors, especially the Department of Ethnic Minorities and Religions, which is the State management agency in the field of ethnic and religious affairs, should proactively grasp the situation, develop training plans, and provide guidance to commune-level officials on professional expertise, contributing to the successful implementation of the Party and State's policy on the 2-level local government model. Focus on propaganda and raising people's awareness of ethnic and religious affairs; at the same time, strengthen the work of grasping the situation, promptly detecting and resolving problems arising at the grassroots level; pay attention to and care for the lives of ethnic minorities in the province...

Before the working session, the delegation visited the Ta Leng Commune Public Administration Service Center, Tan Phong Ward and presented gifts to 20 prestigious people and 50 poor ethnic minority households of the two communes and wards.

Deputy Minister of Ethnic Minorities and Religions Nguyen Hai Trung presents gifts to prestigious people in Ta Leng commune.

The delegation visited the Tan Phong Ward Public Administration Service Center.

Comrade Vu Hoai Bac - Head of the Government Committee for Religious Affairs and Comrade Tong Thanh Hai - Permanent Vice Chairman of Lai Chau Provincial People's Committee presented gifts from the Working Group to poor ethnic minority households in Tan Phong ward.

Source: https://laichau.gov.vn/tin-tuc-su-kien/hoat-dong-cua-lanh-dao-tinh/doan-cong-tac-cua-bo-dan-toc-va-ton-giao-tham-va-lam-viec-tai-tinh-lai-chau.html