27 communes signed a commitment to reach the new rural goal in 2018

Comrade Nguyen Xuan Duong - Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, Head of the Provincial Steering Committee for National Target Programs chaired the conference. Attending the conference were Comrade Dinh Viet Hong - Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, Deputy Head of the Provincial Steering Committee for National Target Programs and leaders of departments and branches.

Overview of the conference. Photo: Xuan Hoang

The report of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development shows that: Since the beginning of the year, Nghe An has provided communes with 60,927 tons of cement/the plan for 2017 was 60,927 tons, and has completed an additional 348 km, reaching 100% of the plan (bringing the total amount of cement provided since the program was implemented to date to 563,022 tons). By 2017, the whole province had built and upgraded 654 km of rural roads of all kinds, with a total cost of 550 billion VND.

After 7 years of implementing the new rural construction, the whole province has built and upgraded 8,734.4 km of rural roads of all kinds, with a total cost of 9,153.1 billion VND.

Comrade Nguyen Xuan Duong - Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee gave a speech at the conference. Photo: Xuan Hoang

Total mobilized capital after 7 years reached 27,773.5 billion VND, of which 2017 alone reached 3,194.4 billion VND.

In 2017, 29 more communes met the NTM standards, including 2 difficult border communes: Tam Quang commune, Tuong Duong district and Hanh Lam commune, Thanh Chuong district. Up to now, the whole province has 181/431 communes meeting the NTM standards recognized by the Provincial People's Committee, accounting for 42%; higher than the national average.

In 2017, the province focused on directing the construction of 3 model new rural communes: Son Thanh (Yen Thanh), Quynh Doi (Quynh Luu) and Kim Lien (Nam Dan); directed Nam Dan district to complete the goal of building new rural areas, and is currently completing the dossier to submit to the Central Government for appraisal of new rural districts.

The provincial New Rural Area Appraisal Council visited the safe vegetable growing model in Van Dien commune, Nam Dan district. Photo: Xuan Hoang

In general, people have actively participated in building new rural areas, no longer relying on state investment. Building new rural areas has become a widespread movement throughout the province.

The rural economy has gradually shifted towards increasing added value and sustainable development. Agricultural processing villages have been established and expanded, creating more jobs for local people, contributing to economic restructuring and promoting sustainable poverty reduction in rural areas. Political security and security in rural areas continue to be maintained.

Localities have been proactive and have gradually found solutions to handle and overcome the problem of debt in basic construction. During the year, nearly 200 billion in debt in basic construction was handled, the whole province currently owes about more than 420 billion in new rural construction.

Building new rural roads in Minh Thanh commune, Yen Thanh district. Photo: Archive

The goal of the Provincial People's Committee is to have at least 27 more communes meeting new rural standards in 2018.Communes that have not met the standards have increased by at least one criterion or more, with the average for the whole province reaching 15.14 criteria/commune.There are 25 villages and hamlets in mountainous districts that meet the new rural standards according to the province's criteria.

Continue to direct the construction of 3 model new rural communes according to the approved Project. Develop and implement the Project to turn Nam Dan district into a model new rural district according to the direction of the Central Government.

At the conference, there were 6 presentations sharing good and creative ways of doing things throughout the process of achieving the NTM target. At the same time, recommendations were made to all levels and sectors on the difficulties and obstacles in the process of building the NTM in the coming time.

Speaking at the conclusion of the conference, Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Nguyen Xuan Duong noted a number of limitations and shortcomings in the implementation of the National Target Program on New Rural Construction last year.

Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Nguyen Xuan Duong requested the Steering Committees for New Rural Areas at all levels and the entire political system to focus highly on leadership and direction so that in 2018, the province will have more...At least 27 communes and 25 villages and hamlets meet the new rural standards, with an average of 15.14 criteria per commune in the province; build production development models to increase people's income - considering this a key task throughout 2018 and the following years, associated with land consolidation and plot exchange, building large fields in the direction of restructuring the rural agricultural sector.

The Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee emphasized: communes registered and committed to strive to achieve the New Rural Standards in 2018 need to focus on reviewing and building a specific roadmap to complete each content and criterion that has not been achieved. Districts that do not have communes meeting the New Rural Standards such as Ky Son, Que Phong, and Quy Chau must build standard villages and hamlets, creating a premise for building communes meeting the New Rural Standards in the following years. Nam Dan district should soon complete the dossier to submit to the Central Government for appraisal and recognition of the district meeting the New Rural Standards in time to organize the Announcement Ceremony on the occasion of Uncle Ho's birthday (May 19, 2018); at the same time, complete the outline of the pilot project of Nam Dan district to build a model New Rural District for approval according to regulations.

The communes: Kim Lien (Nam Dan), Son Thanh (Yen Thanh) and Quynh Doi (Quynh Luu) continue to complete the criteria to achieve the model NTM standards by 2020. The communes that have been recognized by the Provincial People's Committee as meeting the New Rural standards need to review, continue to build and improve the quality of the criteria content according to the New Rural Commune Criteria Set for the period 2016 - 2020.

At the conference, leaders of 27 communes in 13 districts and towns signed a pact to compete to achieve new rural standards in 2018./.