Merge three National Target Programs to avoid overlap

The Government Office has just issued Notice No. 560/TB-VPCP dated October 17, 2025, concluding the conclusion of Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Hoa Binh at the meeting on consolidating the National Target Programs: New Rural Development, Sustainable Poverty Reduction, Socio-economic Development in Ethnic Minority and Mountainous Areas.

The announcement clearly stated: It is necessary to integrate 3 National Target Programs: New Rural Development, Sustainable Poverty Reduction, Socio-Economic Development of Ethnic Minority and Mountainous Areas into a common National Target Program because:

(i) there is overlap in content across the three Programmes;

(ii) competent authorities have a policy to add a number of other national target programs on health, culture, and education (so they need to be reviewed to avoid overlap);

(iii) Administrative boundaries and legal status of government levels have changed compared to before, and need to be reviewed to ensure consistency with decentralization and delegation of power according to the new local government model;

(iv) The implementation process of the Programs shows that it is necessary to continue implementing the next stages to achieve the goals (the National Target Program on socio-economic development in ethnic minority and mountainous areas will be extended after integrating the 3 Programs).

Tan Hoa border commune is a new rural commune, with its economy mainly based on agriculture, growing rubber and cassava. (Photo: Duc Hanh/VNA)

The national target program after the merger is extended until 2035.

According to reports from the Ministries, the integration of the above 3 National Target Programs into 1 National Target Program has both advantages and difficulties, but the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. The Prime Minister and the Chairman of the National Assembly have approved the policy and received support from relevant Ministries and agencies. The Ministries have also identified and determined the difficulties to have solutions to overcome them.

The integration of 3 National Target Programs: New Rural Development, Sustainable Poverty Reduction, Socio-Economic Development in Ethnic Minority and Mountainous Areas into 1 National Target Program is implemented according to the principle: Maintain the objectives, tasks, and areas, carefully review the subjects and policy contents to avoid duplication; the program after merging includes components, but must ensure the principles of clear policies, clear areas, clear beneficiaries, no duplication, overlap, clear people, clear work, clear responsibilities, thorough decentralization and delegation of power along with resource allocation to local authorities in the spirit of "locality decides, locality does, locality is responsible;" the central government manages overall, issues mechanisms and policies, performs the task of guiding, supervising, inspecting, and urging implementation...

The national target program after the merger is extended until 2035.

Thanks to the rose growing cooperation, hundreds of households in Mu Cang Chai have had a prosperous life and sustainable poverty reduction. (Photo: VNA)

Urgently complete the dossier and procedures to propose investment policies for the National Target Program after the merger.

The Deputy Prime Minister assigned the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment to preside over and coordinate with the Ministry of Ethnic Minorities and Religions, the Ministry of Finance and relevant agencies to urgently develop a draft Government Report proposing investment policies for the National Target Program when merging the 3 Programs, closely coordinate with relevant agencies of the Government and the National Assembly to complete procedural documents, submit to competent authorities for approval in time to report to the National Assembly at the 10th Session of the 15th National Assembly.

The Ministry of Ethnic Minorities and Religions shall coordinate and proactively provide full information on the National Target Program on Socio-Economic Development of Ethnic Minority and Mountainous Areas to the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment for a synthesis report; proactively coordinate closely with the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment to complete the draft Government Report proposing investment policies for the National Target Program when merging the 3 Programs.

The Ministry of Finance (the agency assigned as the standing body of the State Appraisal Council to appraise the National Target Program on New Rural Development and Sustainable Poverty Reduction for the 2026-2035 period) urgently completes the appraisal of the National Target Program according to regulations.

The Deputy Prime Minister requested the National Assembly's Ethnic Council and the National Assembly's Committees to coordinate and support Government agencies in the process of completing documents and reviewing them for submission to the National Assembly and the National Assembly's Standing Committee./.

(Vietnam+)

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/hop-nhat-ba-chuong-trinh-muc-tieu-quoc-gia-de-tranh-chong-cheo-post1071005.vnp