Reducing Information Poverty: A Foundation for Sustainable Development in Can Tho

In the period of 2021 - 2025, together with the whole country implementing the National Target Program on Sustainable Poverty Reduction, Can Tho City has focused on implementing the content of "information poverty reduction", an important pillar to help people, especially in remote areas, access policies, effective production models and development opportunities more quickly.

The content of "information poverty reduction" is one of the important pillars to help people, especially in remote areas, access policies, effective production models and development opportunities more quickly.

Can Tho attended the conference to review the National Target Program on New Rural Construction and the National Target Program on Sustainable Poverty Reduction for the 2021-2025 period.

Implementing Decision No. 90/QD-TTg dated January 18, 2022 of the Prime Minister, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Can Tho City (formerly the Department of Information and Communications) has presided over and coordinated with relevant units to implement Sub-project 1: Reducing information poverty in the area. Every year, the department develops a specific plan, guides districts and towns to implement according to the direction of the Ministry of Information and Communications , and periodically synthesizes and reports the results to the City People's Committee and the Department of Labor - Invalids and Social Affairs.

In the period of 2022 - 2024, the localities after the merger have had many positive results. In the old Hau Giang area, the total allocated budget is more than 1.06 billion VND, of which over 97% has been disbursed. From this source of capital, two radio stations of Luong Nghia and Xa Phien communes (old Long My district) were upgraded, converted from FM system to information technology - telecommunications application, and at the same time expanded 11 new technology loudspeaker clusters. This is an important step forward, helping people in communes with particularly difficult socio-economic conditions access essential information more promptly.

In addition, the program also supports the maintenance of two public postal service points in communes in Region III, ensuring that people have continuous access to information services. Notably, propaganda work on mass media has been strongly enhanced. In 2023 - 2024, Hau Giang Radio and Television Station (old) produced 61 radio and television programs, with a total duration of more than 750 minutes, including many programs in Khmer, helping ethnic minorities easily access official information, better understand poverty reduction policies, science and technology and sustainable livelihood models.

In the old Soc Trang area, the total budget allocated in this period was more than 7.1 billion VND, disbursement reached over 68%. The outstanding results were the organization of 13 training courses for grassroots information and communication officers; production of 30 radio programs, 243 television programs, more than 7,500 printed publications and dozens of electronic newspaper products to serve propaganda work and raise public awareness. Along with that, 20 new commune-level radio stations were established with 137 loudspeaker clusters applying information and telecommunications technology, replacing and expanding dozens of other loudspeaker clusters, contributing to the modernization of the grassroots radio system.

According to the assessment of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Can Tho city, the implementation of the sub-project received timely leadership and direction from the Ministry of Information and Communications, the City Party Committee and the City People's Committee. All levels and sectors have closely coordinated and proactively performed their tasks, contributing to improving the effectiveness of propaganda and awareness of sustainable poverty reduction among the people. Thanks to that, people in remote communes have had faster access to information, timely grasp of policies, and at the same time learned many effective poverty reduction models, creating high social consensus.

However, the report also pointed out some difficulties, such as low investment standards, limited beneficiary areas due to regulations only supporting commune level, while many wards and towns still have great needs. Some broadcasting equipment has degraded and needs to be upgraded to ensure the quality of grassroots communication.

Looking back at the 2021-2025 period, it can be seen that "information poverty reduction" is not only part of the sustainable poverty reduction program, but also a premise to narrow the knowledge gap between regions, contributing to building a comprehensive, modern and humane information society.

Source: https://bvhttdl.gov.vn/giam-ngheo-ve-thong-tin-nen-tang-cho-phat-trien-ben-vung-tai-can-tho-202511031202454.htm