Implement policies on residential and agricultural land for ethnic minorities.

Residents of Dak To Ver commune, Chu Pan district, are being provided with macadamia trees to intercrop in their coffee gardens to increase their income. Photo: Le Nam

From 2022 to 2024, Gia Lai province was allocated a total budget of VND 2,067.5 billion for the implementation of National Target Program 1719; the total amount of capital already allocated by the province was VND 2,183 billion. By the beginning of August 2024, the total disbursed budget capital was VND 1,072.1 billion, reaching 49.1% of the allocated capital plan. Accordingly, the central government budget capital disbursed VND 933.1 billion, reaching 48.7% of the allocated capital plan; the local government budget capital disbursed VND 139 billion, reaching 52.2% of the allocated capital plan.

The implementation of Project 1 has shown significant importance for ethnic minority communities, especially those households facing difficulties with land, housing, and clean water, helping them overcome hardships, develop their economy , increase income, and improve their lives. However, many localities are also facing difficulties in implementing Project 1, particularly in providing support for residential and production land. Furthermore, the disbursement rate for housing construction support remains low because some households lack land use rights certificates or have land documents designating it as land for perennial crops, and lack the funds to change the land use purpose. In addition, some cases are inconsistent with land use planning and plans, do not meet the conditions for land subdivision; lack sufficient legal basis for implementation, and the lengthy time required to complete paperwork leads to delays.

For example, in Chu Pan district, according to Mr. Nay Kien, Chairman of the People's Committee of Chu Pan district, the review results show that most poor ethnic minority households have stable land use but do not have land use right certificates, making it difficult to select households to receive housing support under Project 1. For households eligible for housing support in 2023, although houses have been built, there is currently insufficient funding to provide the support as stipulated. Regarding the support for production land under Project 1, the funding allocated in 2022 could not be used, so the unit has advised shifting the support to housing for ethnic minorities in 2024. Not only are there difficulties with land availability, but the preferential loan capital for 2024 under Decree No. 28/2022/ND-CP has also not yet been allocated to localities by the central government. Therefore, localities that have approved the list of poor households eligible for support under Project 1 are still awaiting this funding to integrate it with the state budget support for the implementation of the support programs.

It is known that in recent years, Gia Lai province has provided housing support to 3,425 households; land support for 1,162 households; production land support for 11,590 households; and vocational retraining support for 6,463 households. Not only has this addressed the basic housing, land, and production land needs of ethnic minority communities, but many localities in Gia Lai province have also effectively implemented projects to resettle 840 households of free migrants, including 450 households who migrated from other provinces. The effective implementation of housing, land, and production land support has helped many poor ethnic minority households feel secure in their production, stabilize their lives, and at the same time reduce nomadic farming and deforestation for slash-and-burn agriculture, contributing to the stability of security and order in the area. However, the implementation of these measures is still not thorough.

Mr. Truong Trung Tuyen, Deputy Head of the Ethnic Affairs Committee of Gia Lai province, said that based on information gathered regarding the implementation of Project 1, many localities no longer have land available to allocate to eligible beneficiaries. The support is primarily disbursed through loans. However, the prices of residential and agricultural land are too high compared to the government's support levels, making it difficult for beneficiaries to purchase land. Furthermore, many ethnic minority households lack land use rights certificates, making buying, selling, and transferring land impossible, thus hindering the disbursement of funds as planned. In the future, Gia Lai province will strive to overcome these difficulties to effectively care for ethnic minority communities in the locality.

Source: https://daidoanket.vn/thuc-hien-chinh-sach-ve-dat-o-dat-san-xuat-cho-dong-bao-dan-toc-10292049.html