Specific policies contributing to changing the appearance of mountainous areas

The project to implement specific policies to support socio-economic development in ethnic minority and mountainous areas in the period of 2017-2020 has helped to solve difficulties in life and production; gradually improved and enhanced living conditions for poor, extremely difficult ethnic minority households; contributed to sustainable poverty reduction.

Recognizing the implementation of the project as well as its difficulties and efficiency, Mr. Truong Van Phuong, Head of the Provincial Ethnic Committee, let known:

- Implementing the direction by the Provincial People's Committee, since 2017, the Provincial Ethnic Committee chaired and coordinated with agencies and localities to implement related contents such as reviewing, synthesizing needs in accordance with regulations; sticking to the contents, formulating projects to be implemented in each locality, synthesizing and building general projects of the whole province.

With the total capital of more than VND 143 billion, the unit has assisted the localities in supporting production land, changing jobs and supplying daily-life water for poor ethnic minority households and poor households in communes of Region III, extremely difficult communes; directly supporting production land, residential land, changing jobs, settling daily-life water, conducting arrangement, stabilizing the population, supporting people with preferential credit loans...

Annually, the Provincial Ethnic Committee organizes a practical inspection of implementing the ethnic programs, projects and policies... in mountainous districts, rural districts and towns with mountainous communes. The unit has guided, urged and timely supported localities to effectively implement ethnic policies according to the set plan.

* How has the implementation of the above policy changed the face of ethnic minority areas, mountainous areas and the lives of people, sir?

- There have been 45 communes and towns of ethnic minority and mountainous areas in the province, focusing mainly on 3 mountainous districts of Song Hinh, Son Hoa and Dong Xuan. Ethnic minority compatriots include 60,114 people, accounting for nearly 27% of the mountainous population and 7% of the provincial population, with 33 ethnic groups living. Implementing the policy of the Party, the State, during the recent years, all levels and branches have focused resources on infrastructure investment, supporting production development; synchronously implementing programs and policies on social development, poverty reduction and people's life support, which has brought practical effects. The socio-eco situation in ethnic minority and mountainous areas have changed a lot, the regional economic structure has been gradually shifting with the general economic development trend.

In agriculture, sugarcane and cassava material areas have been formed and associated with processing factories; the industry has grown well, having formed important industries such as hydroelectricity, exploitation, processing of forest products and construction materials. The essential infrastructure such as transportation, irrigation, electricity... gradually improved, which helps create favorable conditions for people to expand production, economic development, improve the face of rural areas in ethnic minority hamlets and villages.

In particular, ethnic minority households are promptly entitled to the State-supported policy, thereby improving their lives, reducing the rate of poor households; contributing to the province's socio-economic development and sustainable poverty reduction.

* 2020 is the last year of the road to implement specific support policies for ethnic minority and mountainous areas of the province. In your opinion, what are the things that will be done from now to the end of the year?

- In the actual situation at present, the ethnic minorities and mountainous areas of the province have changed compared to before but still difficult areas. Economic development is not really sustainable; the application of science and technology to production is more or less limited; the infrastructure is not synchronized. During the implementation of the project, the amount of capital allocated by the central government as compared to the approved funding needs is too small, so it is difficult to achieve the targets.

In order to implement specific policies to support socio-eco development in the ethnic minority and mountainous areas, the Provincial Ethnic Committee has proposed that the Central Government continue to prioritize the allocation of capital sources for implementing the specific support policy to the ethnic minority and mountainous areas; increase the level of support, set norms and expand policy beneficiaries under the ongoing programs, projects and policies to suit the current socio-economic development situation.

Simultaneously, it’s necessary to simplify procedures and balance to increase the level of loan support for programs to help people easily access the capital. We also propose the localities to pro-actively review beneficiaries, when the funds allocated, quickly implement, set plans to improve the competence of grassroots teams; the localities coordinate more closely in participating in the implementation of the project.

Source: Phu Yen Newspaper

Translated by TRINH THUY