Combining 3 national target programs, focusing on developing ethnic minority areas

According to Minister Tran Duc Thang, integrating into one program does not reduce policies but helps focus more on mountainous ethnic minority areas in the coming time.

This afternoon, December 3, Minister of Agriculture and Environment Tran Duc Thang presented to the National Assembly the investment policy for the National Target Program on new rural areas, sustainable poverty reduction, and socio-economic development in ethnic minority and mountainous areas by 2035.

The program is integrated from three national target programs: new rural areas, sustainable poverty reduction, and socio -economic development in ethnic minority and mountainous areas.

Overcoming the shortcomings

According to Minister of Agriculture and Environment Tran Duc Thang, in the 2021-2025 period, with the attention and drastic direction of the National Assembly, the Government, the Prime Minister, the Central Steering Committee, the efforts and determination of the entire political system from central to local levels, especially the consensus and response of all classes of people, all three national target programs (new rural areas, sustainable poverty reduction, socio-economic development in ethnic minority and mountainous areas) have basically achieved and exceeded the assigned goals and tasks.

Specifically, the national target program on new rural construction by the end of June 2025 has basically achieved and exceeded the targets assigned by the National Assembly and the Government, of which 4/7 targets exceeded the assigned targets, and 3/7 targets basically completed the targets.

The national target program for sustainable poverty reduction has 4/5 targets reaching and exceeding the targets assigned by the National Assembly and the Government, only 1 target on the number of districts escaping poverty has not met the target.

The national target program for socio-economic development of ethnic minority and mountainous areas has 6/9 targets that have met and exceeded the targets assigned by the National Assembly and the Government. Specifically, the targets that have met and exceeded the targets include the poverty reduction rate in ethnic minority areas; the average income of ethnic minorities; the target group on education; the rate of workers of working age receiving vocational training; the target group on preserving and developing traditional cultural values ​​and identities; the target group on strengthening health care for ethnic minorities.

There are 3 targets that have not been achieved, including the target group on improving technical infrastructure and social infrastructure; the target group on the number of communes and villages leaving especially difficult areas; and the target group on sedentarization and settlement.

Minister of Agriculture and Environment Tran Duc Thang. (Photo: Doan Tan/VNA)

However, in the process of organizing and implementing the 3 programs, the system of mechanisms and guiding policies is still complicated, slow to be issued, lacking specificity; overlapping in content, investment objects, resource dispersion, duplication of tasks leading to many difficulties in the implementation process. Although the National Assembly and the Government have issued many specific policies to remove difficulties and shortcomings, the implementation process has not yet met the assigned requirements and progress.

To manage more consistently, effectively, substantially and sustainably, and overcome the situation of overlapping, dispersion of resources, and duplication of tasks in national target programs, the Government has proposed a policy of merging 3 programs.

Focus on ethnic minority areas

According to Minister Tran Duc Thang, integrating into one program does not reduce policies, but helps focus more on mountainous ethnic minority areas in the coming time.

The poverty reduction program was previously implemented nationwide, but the core poor areas are now mainly inhabited by ethnic minorities. Therefore, the program needs to focus on investing heavily in these areas to help ethnic minorities have a better life and escape poverty sustainably.

The new rural program has been implemented nationwide in recent times and the results have been continuously improved in many localities. The remaining areas need to be focused on investment, especially in ethnic minority and disadvantaged areas to continue improving people's lives.

Therefore, the integration of the three programs will focus on increasing investment in disadvantaged areas, ethnic minority and mountainous areas until 2035.

The integration is carried out according to the principle of not spreading out, focusing on key issues, creating a boost for the entire program; overcoming overlapping issues between the 3 programs for the 2021-2025 period; ensuring clear policies, clear areas, clear beneficiaries, clear people, clear work, clear responsibilities, clear products; thoroughly decentralizing and delegating power along with allocating resources to local authorities in the spirit of "locality decides, locality does, locality is responsible", central management overall.

Minister Tran Duc Thang proposed that the National Assembly consider approving the report and issue a Resolution on investment policy to build the program for the 2026-2035 period.

The Minister also proposed to extend the implementation and disbursement time of the State budget capital of the 3 national target programs until December 31, 2026 to complete the goals of the 2021-2025 period; assign the Government to review, balance, and allocate additional resources to implement good disbursement contents and those in need of additional resources, issue specific mechanisms, and simplify procedures to accelerate the progress of program implementation.

Presenting the Review Report on the investment policy of the National Target Program on new rural areas, sustainable poverty reduction, and socio-economic development in ethnic minority and mountainous areas by 2035, Chairman of the Ethnic Council Lam Van Man affirmed that the general and specific objectives of the program are relatively comprehensive and cover all areas, inherited from the Programs of the previous period and have appropriate adjustments and supplements.

However, regarding specific targets, Chairman of the Ethnic Council Lam Van Man suggested that the Government continue to carefully review to avoid duplication; the targets set must be well-founded, logical, feasible, and suitable to the new context of the country; clearly showing focus and priority for disadvantaged areas, core poor areas, ethnic minority and mountainous areas to gradually narrow the development gap between regions.

Chairman of the Council of Nationalities Lam Van Man proposed that the National Assembly consider, decide and approve the investment policy of the Program, with the name: "National target program on new rural construction, sustainable poverty reduction and socio-economic development in ethnic minority and mountainous areas for the period 2026-2035"./.

(Vietnam+)

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/gop-3-chuong-trinh-muc-tieu-quoc-gia-doc-suc-phat-trien-vung-dan-toc-thieu-so-post1080821.vnp