Overcoming difficulties
Tram Tau commune in Lao Cai province was formed by merging four communes from the former Tram Tau district of Yen Bai province: Tram Tau, Pa Hu, Pa Lau, and Tuc Dan. After the merger, the locality has an area of nearly 240 km2 (the third largest in the province) and a population of approximately 12,000 people.
Bui Hong Anh, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Tram Tau Commune. Photo: Thanh Tien.
After a year of implementing the two-tiered local government system, we had the opportunity to return to Tram Tau – a highland area of Lao Cai province that locals liken to the "peak of the sky." In a conversation with Bui Hong Anh, Vice Chairman of the Tram Tau Commune People's Committee, in the rather modest grounds of the commune headquarters, surrounded on all sides by towering mountains, the young commune official began the conversation by recalling the immense difficulties of the early days.
He shared: "By implementing the two-tiered local government model, the new commune government apparatus not only handles the tasks of the four merged old communes but also takes on some tasks transferred from the district level, and even functions that were previously under the authority of the provincial level."
The workload increased dramatically, and some colleagues were initially taken aback because some district-level officials were accustomed to general planning and macro-level advisory work and had little experience working at the grassroots level. Conversely, for officials originally from the commune level, being assigned tasks at the district and provincial levels was completely new to them.
The immense pressure from the workload, the increasingly high quality requirements, and the changes in regulations and policies following the merger have strongly impacted the morale of the staff. The first three months (July-September 2025) were a "trial by fire," a grueling period of testing for the entire organization, leading some to request transfers due to their inability to meet the demands.
Many commune officials and civil servants sometimes feel discouraged due to work pressure after the merger. Photo: Thanh Tien.
The pressure isn't just from the piles of files; it's also present in the daily living spaces of officials and civil servants. The old facilities, originally designed for only 20 people, now house over 40. For example, the Economic Department, with a space of only about 30 square meters, is home to 9 staff members, crammed with machinery, equipment, and files.
“The living conditions for the officers stationed at the agency are extremely inadequate. The entire commune only has two dormitory rooms, divided equally between men and women, for resting during lunchtime or on night duty. The men's room alone sometimes has to accommodate nearly 20 people during lunchtimes or stormy nights. Even the most basic amenities are lacking, but everyone has to make do to stay and fulfill their duties,” Vice Chairman Bui Hong Anh explained.
The commune's People's Committee headquarters is located amidst majestic mountains. Photo: Thanh Tien.
Mr. Hong Anh also added that the new Tram Tau commune has 18 villages, located in rugged, mountainous terrain that is heavily fragmented. Some villages are separated by up to 60 km of mountainous roads. For example, the distance from Hang Gang or Tong Trong villages to the commune's People's Committee headquarters is nearly 40 km. If the weather is favorable, it takes officials a full day to travel there and back; if it rains, is windy, or slippery, the time it takes to reach the villages is unpredictable.
The four former communes, now merged, are situated on four isolated mountain peaks, with no direct internal roads connecting them. Traveling from the commune's administrative headquarters (formerly part of Tram Tau commune) to the Party center (formerly part of Tuc Dan commune) is nearly 15 km, requiring officials to detour through Cau Thia and Nghia Lo wards before turning back uphill.
The commune has proactively proposed to the Lao Cai Provincial People's Committee a plan to open a connecting road approximately 8km long, from the current commune People's Committee headquarters to Tau Duoi village. This road will not only eliminate the "river and mountain separation" between areas within the commune, facilitating trade for the people, but also carry the dream of awakening the tourism potential of this land.
Roads in Tram Tau commune are still quite difficult to access. Photo: Thanh Tien.
"As soon as the road construction proposal was submitted, the commune also simultaneously proposed planning a 50-hectare eco-tourism site in the Tấu Dưới hill area. This is a beautiful grassland with an ideal altitude and a wide view overlooking the entire Mường Lò plain. Compared to many other places, Tấu Dưới possesses an extremely perfect advantage for cloud watching. Roads and infrastructure are essential for investors to be able to set foot here and realize this potential. Currently, the project has been included in the province's investment attraction list, promising to be an important economic lever for the locality in the future," Vice Chairman Bùi Hồng Anh shared.
Be close to the people, understand the people, and work alongside the people to accomplish our tasks.
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With an area formed by the merger of four communes, the workload on all departments is immense, especially the Economic Department and the Culture and Social Affairs Department. Previously, due to a shortage of dedicated personnel, one officer often had to take on multiple roles, from proposing investments and directly implementing them to reviewing and approving final accounts.
The infrastructure of the commune government is limited and inadequate. Photo: Thanh Tien.
However, this problem is gradually being resolved thanks to adjustments from higher authorities. Transferring staff from the Agricultural Extension Center, the Cultural Communication Center, and the Project Management Board to the communes has significantly eased the burden of complex professional work.
The new assignment has instilled a new work ethic in the officials. Bui Hong Anh said: "Now, whenever there's an incident, we have to go; the commune leaders must directly get involved instead of just sitting in one place giving orders."
In particular, the commune Party Committee established four working groups, directly responsible for the areas of the four former communes. These groups are all headed by members of the Standing Committee, who, along with other Party committee members, visit the villages weekly. The commune government has also clearly stipulated the assignment of officials to dedicate fixed time each week and month to visit the villages, participate in Party branch meetings, and listen to the aspirations of the people. As a result, all bottlenecks have been addressed at their root, bringing the government closer to the people and helping it understand them better.
The story of bringing electricity to the people of Tong Trong village is a prime example. The power lines had been extended to the village, but for over a year and a half, the project was stalled. The villagers waited anxiously, unable to access electricity due to procedural obstacles. Immediately after the merger, the new commune government coordinated with the electricity sector to resolve the issue. Just a week later, electricity illuminated the homes in Tong Trong, bringing overwhelming joy to the villagers.
Closely monitoring the situation at the grassroots level has also proven highly effective in disaster prevention and control. The storm that swept through the area at the end of March 2026 lasted only 5-10 minutes but caused damage to nearly 500 households. Instead of waiting for village-level reports, the commune's officials immediately fanned out to all the villages. By directly going to the scene to collect data and conduct assessments, the commune was able to promptly mobilize support for over 200 households most severely affected, helping them overcome the consequences and stabilize their lives as quickly as possible.
The commune authorities have clearly stipulated the assignment of officials to dedicate fixed time each week and month to visit the villages and hamlets. Photo: Thanh Tien.
According to the Vice Chairman of Tram Tau commune, a unique characteristic of the commune is that 99% of its population are ethnic minorities, mainly the Mong people, and their economic lives are extremely difficult. Many women over 40 still have limited ability to read and write the common Vietnamese language.
Understanding this situation, the commune officials have adopted flexible and effective approaches. For example, when processing applications for assistance in demolishing temporary or dilapidated houses, according to regulations, people must prepare the documents themselves, including taking photos, photocopying, and notarizing papers. However, if this process were implemented mechanically, people would be very discouraged due to the travel and printing costs.
To expedite the process and ensure the rights of the people, commune officials voluntarily assisted with the procedures; the commune itself funded the purchase of a printer, and officials proactively bought paper to prepare all the necessary documents for the residents.
"Each of us has a task to do; we have to proactively go to the villages to serve the people instead of waiting for them to bring their documents themselves," Vice Chairman Bui Hong Anh confided.
Many administrative procedures have been proactively handled by commune officials on behalf of the people. Photo: Thanh Tien.
Throughout the conversation, the philosophy of "bringing the government closer to the people" was repeatedly emphasized. This philosophy is realized through every task, from installing the VNeID electronic identity system to the recent nationwide health check-up campaign. Although the commune maintains four health stations in the central locations of the four former communes, the commune leaders are determined not to let people in remote villages walk to the stations. Working groups and medical teams are assigned specific schedules, carrying equipment and venturing into remote villages to screen and check for basic ear, nose, throat, and eye diseases for the people. Only in complex cases requiring specialized testing are people required to go to the health station or higher-level facilities.
Furthermore, recognizing that electricity and telecommunications are two vital factors for improving public awareness and information connectivity, the local authorities are currently focusing their efforts on reviewing each residential cluster to coordinate with the Department of Industry and Trade to extend the national power grid to the remaining households as soon as possible. The commune is also proactively working with network providers such as Viettel and Vinaphone to survey and propose the construction of additional 4G base stations, eliminating signal blind spots in the hilly areas.
Without shirking responsibility or making people travel multiple times, the team directly assists with difficult cases, proactively using the Zalo social network to quickly exchange information with village heads, minimizing cumbersome procedures for the people.
Bui Hong Anh, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Tram Tau commune, affirmed: To date, the commune's administrative apparatus has basically met the requirements of its tasks. Photo: Thanh Tien.
The resilience of the highlands
Overcoming initial difficulties, Tram Tau commune is now aiming for the biggest goal set out in the Resolution of the Commune Party Congress: "To lift Tram Tau out of the category of extremely difficult areas as soon as possible." Before the merger, the percentage of poor and near-poor households in the locality was over 50%. The new government aims to reduce the poverty rate to below 10% by 2030.
To realize its aspiration to escape poverty, Tram Tau commune has clearly defined its direction for sustainable agricultural and forestry development. The commune encourages people to focus on cultivating high-value medicinal plants such as cardamom and star anise under the forest and cinnamon canopy. Regarding livestock farming, it encourages people to develop local specialty breeds with their own brands, such as black pigs and Mong chickens.
Tram Tau commune strives to reduce the poverty rate to below 10% by 2030. Photo: Thanh Tien.
The greatest potential for development, promising a boost for Tram Tau commune, lies in ecotourism and renewable energy. With an altitude difference of nearly 400m compared to the Muong Lo valley, this area boasts a cool climate year-round and majestic natural landscapes. It offers stunning viewpoints, pristine villages, cloud-watching spots, and photo opportunities right outside your door…
In addition to the operational hydropower plants, the locality is included in the national wind and solar power development plan, and a future of sustainable development based on clean energy and community tourism is beginning to take shape. The locality is also proactively reviewing and closely following the province's rural transportation development plan to propose investment, reinforcement, and opening of new roads. Only when the roads on the mountaintops are connected will the aspirations of the local people to escape poverty and develop tourism truly take flight.
The initial difficulties have been fundamentally overcome, and the work rhythm has become more vigorous, decisive, and effective. Soon, roads will be opened and connected, and electricity from green energy sources will no longer be hindered by mountainous terrain. A year of operating a two-tiered local government has been a test for people to mature, to dare to think, dare to act, and dare to dream, based on the solid foundation of the wise policies and guidelines of the Party and Government, the close attention and leadership of the province, the unity and consensus of the commune's officials, and the wholehearted support of the people.
There will still be difficulties, but from these first courageous steps taken today, we have the right to believe that Tram Tau will gradually realize its aspiration to rise up, becoming a sustainably developed region, a livable land where people can enjoy the fruits of an administration that is close to the people, for the people, and serves the people.
Source: https://nongnghiepmoitruong.vn/mot-nam-thu-lua-noi-dinh-troi-tram-tau-d818616.html
