Transformation in ethnic minority and mountainous areas of the capital city.

Note: During the period 2021-2025, Hanoi has paid close attention to and allocated significant resources to implement the National Target Program for socio-economic development in ethnic minority and mountainous areas of the capital. The effectiveness of this investment has contributed to sustainable poverty reduction and transformed the lives of ethnic minorities and mountainous areas in the capital.

HanoiMoi newspaper presents to readers a series of articles: Changes in ethnic minority and mountainous areas of the capital city.

Lesson 1: Efforts to improve the material and spiritual lives of the people

Yen Trung Primary School organized a festival to experience the culture of the Muong ethnic group. Photo: Contributor.

In Hanoi, there are currently over 107,000 ethnic minority people, belonging to 50 out of 53 ethnic minority groups, living interspersed with the Kinh people in all 126 communes and wards, accounting for approximately 1.3% of the city's total population. Previously, these ethnic minority communities lived in 13 communes and 1 village across 5 districts, comprising over 55,000 people, representing 51% of the city's ethnic minority population. After reorganization and mergers, Hanoi now has 4 communes and 17 villages inhabited by ethnic minorities.

The National Target Program for Socio -Economic Development of Ethnic Minority and Mountainous Regions for the period 2021-2030, with Phase 1 from 2021-2025, is a landmark policy decision for ethnic minority and mountainous regions, demonstrating the profound concern of the Party and State for these areas. This is not merely an economic investment program, but also a comprehensive strategy aimed at improving the material and spiritual lives of ethnic minorities and strengthening national unity.

In implementing ethnic affairs and ethnic policies, over the years, the Hanoi City Party Committee, People's Council, and People's Committee have always paid attention to and identified ethnic affairs as one of the important political tasks. The city has directed the implementation and incorporated the content of the National Target Program for Socio-Economic Development of Ethnic Minority and Mountainous Areas of Hanoi Capital City for the period 2021-2030 into the Resolution of the 17th Congress of the Hanoi City Party Committee and the City Party Committee's programs implementing the Resolution of the 17th Congress of the Hanoi City Party Committee.

The People's Committee of Hanoi City issued Plan No. 253 to implement the Program. To strive for completion five years ahead of schedule, Hanoi issued Plan No. 68, aiming to achieve the targets of the Program for the period 2021-2030 by 2025.

According to Nguyen Sy Truong, Director of the Department of Ethnic Minorities and Religions of Hanoi City, Hanoi is a locality that can balance its budget independently, thus proactively implementing the plan. Most of the targets set by the National Assembly have been met or exceeded. With the guidance and support of the Ministry of Ethnic Minorities and Religions, the decisive and coordinated implementation from the city level to the grassroots, the cooperation of various departments and agencies, localities, and especially the solidarity of ethnic minority communities, Hanoi has achieved many comprehensive, profound, and sustainable accomplishments.

To date, Hanoi has allocated 2,421.857/2,664.238 billion VND for 190/210 projects, including 2,341.620/2,558.22 billion VND for capital construction investment in 156/174 projects, with cumulative disbursement reaching over 83% at 1,956.496 billion VND.

Many schools in ethnic minority and mountainous areas of Hanoi have been invested in, resulting in spacious, clean, and beautiful facilities. Photo: Contributor

To date, the city has completed 32 out of 35 targets according to Resolution 88/2019/QH14 of the National Assembly, with 3 targets still being implemented. It has also completed 13 out of 16 targets according to Plan No. 253 of the Hanoi People's Committee, with 3 targets still being implemented. The goal is for Hanoi to basically complete the targets and objectives of the 2021-2030 program by the end of 2025.

The annual economic growth rate of ethnic minority areas is over 10%; average per capita income reaches approximately 75 million VND/person/year, with some communes reaching over 80 million VND/person/year; the poverty rate decreases rapidly every year, and by 2024 Hanoi will have no poor households; 100% of communes have met the standards of new rural areas.

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"These achievements not only improve the material and spiritual lives of ethnic minorities, but also contribute to maintaining political security, social stability, and strengthening national unity," Comrade Nguyen Sy Truong emphasized.

Narrowing the gap between rural and mountainous areas.

According to Phung Khac Son, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of the People's Committee of Yen Xuan commune, in the first 11 months of 2025, Yen Xuan commune had comprehensively implemented tasks and achieved results in all aspects of the economy and society in general, and in ethnic affairs, religion and beliefs in particular, especially maintaining stability in the area, fostering unity and cohesion among ethnic groups; and ensuring stable religious activities without the emergence of complex issues...

Implementing projects under the National Target Program for socio-economic development in ethnic minority and mountainous areas for the period 2021-2025, Yen Xuan commune has been included in the investment plan for 46 projects, with a total investment of 899,250 million VND.

The disbursement results for the end of 2024 were 455,763 million VND; the capital allocated for 2025 is 163,315 million VND. To date, the commune has completed and finalized 18 projects; completed 7 projects awaiting finalization; 11 projects are under construction; and 10 projects are awaiting capital allocation. In addition to the 46 public investment projects, during the 2021-2025 period, the commune also implemented 3 projects funded by recurrent expenditure, which have been completed and are in the process of being handed over for use.

Hanoi city has over 107,000 ethnic minority people belonging to 50 out of 53 ethnic minority groups. Photo: Contributor.

Yen Bai commune was formed by merging the natural area and population of two communes: Van Hoa and Yen Bai, formerly part of Ba Vi district. The commune's main ethnic groups are the Kinh and Muong, with the Muong accounting for approximately 45% of the total population.

According to Nguyen Van Tung, Chairman of the People's Committee of Yen Bai commune, implementing the two-tiered local government model, the commune has proactively reformed its leadership methods; focusing on rational decentralization and delegation of authority, and linking the responsibility of the head of each commune to the results of ethnic and religious affairs.

The People's Committee of the commune has fully implemented policies to support the development of ethnic minority and religious communities, while creating favorable conditions for legitimate religious activities to take place in accordance with the law.

With the attention of the Party Committee and the government, the state management of ethnic and religious affairs in Yen Bai commune has been relatively effective. In particular, the implementation and completion of projects under the National Target Program for Socio-Economic Development of Ethnic Minority and Mountainous Areas giai đoạn 2021 - 2025 has significantly contributed to improving the lives of the people.

According to Nguyen Manh Quyen, member of the Standing Committee of the Hanoi City Party Committee and Vice Chairman of the Hanoi People's Committee, these achievements have contributed to narrowing the development gap between mountainous areas inhabited by ethnic minorities and lowland areas in the capital city.

In particular, it strengthens the trust of the people in ethnic minority areas in the leadership of the Party, the State, and local Party committees and authorities at all levels; contributing to maintaining political security and social order, and creating conditions for the economic, cultural, and social development of the city.

Based on the achievements of the National Target Program for Socio-Economic Development of Ethnic Minority and Mountainous Areas in the period 2021-2025, in the period 2026-2030, the city will continue to focus on strengthening investment in a comprehensive and sustainable manner; ensuring that it is accurate, sufficient, and timely; contributing to striving to complete and surpass the targets set by the National Assembly.

The central objective is to leverage the potential and advantages of the region and the self-reliance of ethnic minority communities, gradually narrowing and eventually eliminating the gap in living standards and income between ethnic minority and mountainous areas and the outskirts of Hanoi.

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Source: https://hanoimoi.vn/doi-thay-vung-dong-bao-dan-toc-thieu-so-and-mien-nui-thu-do-726353.html