Chairman of the People's Committee of Nghe An province, Vo Trong Hai, worked with 9 communes in the former Tuong Duong area.

Also attending were Comrade Nguyen Nhu Khoi - Member of the Provincial Party Committee, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Council, and leaders of various departments and agencies.

Proposal to promptly repair essential infrastructure after storms and floods.

The meeting took place at a particularly challenging time, as the communes were just entering the transition period to a two-tiered local government structure, coinciding with a series of devastating natural disasters, especially typhoons No. 3, 5, and 10. The newly restructured apparatus faced numerous difficulties regarding infrastructure, office space, and human resources, posing significant challenges for the local Party committees and authorities.

In this context, the Party committees and local authorities of the communes have demonstrated a proactive, decisive, and flexible spirit. Disaster prevention, response, and recovery efforts have been implemented quickly according to the "four on-the-spot" principle, providing timely support to people to stabilize their lives and restore production.

Simultaneously, communes are urgently rearranging personnel according to the functions and tasks of the new commune-level model; overcoming limitations in working conditions; and organizing and operating the commune-level public administrative service center in a synchronized and fundamentally effective manner. The service attitude of officials and civil servants is highly appreciated by the people, showing a clear innovation in grassroots governance.

A key highlight was the successful organization of the Party Congresses of the communes for the 2025-2030 term. Immediately after the congresses, the communes began to vigorously implement socio-economic development tasks in the remaining months of 2025; at the same time, they concretized the goals and targets of the Congress Resolution from the very first days and months of the new term, creating a widespread momentum throughout the entire system.

In particular, given the characteristics of mountainous areas still facing many difficulties, the Party committee and the local government have identified the key task as effectively exploiting and utilizing resources, especially capital from national target programs; while emphasizing a proactive and creative spirit, absolutely avoiding dependence and reliance, in order to support livelihood development, increase income and achieve sustainable poverty reduction for the people.

Along with the task of economic development, the communes focus on protecting and developing forests; ensuring border security and social order; and maintaining a peaceful life for the people. These efforts create an important foundation for the communes to enter the new term with a proactive mindset, aiming for stable and sustainable development.

However, despite efforts to overcome difficulties, the communes are still facing many challenges. The most prominent is the organizational structure and infrastructure needed to support the operation of the two-tiered government system.

Many localities have reported a shortage of civil servants compared to the allocated staffing quota. There is a lack of or no official housing, while many officials are not from the local area and have to live in the office due to commuting long distances.

Alongside the manpower shortage, essential infrastructure is also a major concern. Many communes have requested prompt investment in repairing and upgrading damaged or washed-away bridges and roads following storms and heavy rains.

Many villages are facing the risk of landslides, forcing them to consider emergency relocation plans to ensure the safety of their residents. These are all urgent requirements, demanding significant resources and decisive, timely action from all levels and sectors.

In response to local requests, the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee has assigned leaders of relevant departments and agencies to directly respond and clarify the issues.

During the meeting, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Council Nguyen Nhu Khoi, representing the Standing Committee of the Provincial People's Council, shared concerns about the resettlement of people in landslide-prone areas affected by storms and floods.

Besides concentrated resettlement projects, the comrade suggested that localities should consider prioritizing mixed resettlement models. The Provincial People's Council has already implemented specific support policies in Resolution No. 09/2024/NQ-HĐND.

The Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Council also emphasized disaster prevention and control in the communes of the former Tuong Duong district, with forest preservation being the top priority. Local authorities need to actively mobilize and organize the allocation of land and forests to the people and fully implement current forest policies so that people can enjoy their rights.

In the long term, he suggested that the province consider issuing more robust resolutions on afforestation and forest protection to improve management efficiency and ensure sustainable development.

In addition, Comrade Nguyen Nhu Khoi also requested attention to ensuring the disbursement of national target programs; and at the same time, good preparation for the election of deputies to the 16th National Assembly and People's Councils at all levels for the 2026-2031 term, scheduled to be held on March 15, 2026.

Where the Party is strong, the government there will also be strong.

Concluding the meeting, Chairman of the Nghe An Provincial People's Committee Vo Trong Hai highly appreciated the efforts and determination of the communes right from the start of operating the two-tiered local government.

In the context of implementing many important tasks while simultaneously responding to successive natural disasters, storm after storm, flood after flood, the comrade acknowledged the unity and cohesion of the Party committee and the government, which made a significant contribution to maintaining stability and effective operation of the locality.

Regarding future directions, the head of the Provincial People's Committee emphasized that the focus must be on Party building. "Where the Party is strong, the government there will also be strong," affirmed Comrade Vo Trong Hai.

Regarding socio-economic development, the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee requested that communes closely coordinate with the Department of Construction to adjust and update the planning after the reorganization and merger of the former communes, thereby orienting the spatial development rationally and creating a foundation for sustainable, long-term development.

The area encompassing 9 communes in the former Tuong Duong district is frequently affected by natural disasters, such as typhoons No. 3, 5, and 10 recently. Therefore, Comrade Vo Trong Hai requested a focus on efficient production of the Winter-Spring crop to ensure food security. In the long term, planting forests and trees along rivers and streams to prevent soil erosion is a fundamental solution, both protecting the environment and preventing floods and storms.

The Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee also outlined a series of solutions aimed at improving the livelihoods of the people. The review and allocation of land and forests must be linked to forest protection and the selection of high-value forestry and industrial tree species. Issuing land use rights certificates for residential and forest land will help people feel secure in their production and livelihoods, while also reducing land disputes and complaints.

Relevant departments and agencies need to guide localities in developing economic models that suit their strengths, climate, and soil conditions, combining branding, marketing, and expanding distribution channels, especially through e-commerce.

Assessing the tourism potential of Western Nghe An as very large, the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee said that the provincial leadership is calling on strong corporations to invest; and accordingly, requested departments, agencies and localities, especially the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, to develop strategies to effectively exploit this resource.

Regarding education and healthcare, Comrade Vo Trong Hai requested relevant agencies to calculate solutions to meet human resource needs, while ensuring investment in equipment, according to the principle of decentralization and delegation of authority. Except for centrally procured equipment, the remaining items should be handled proactively by the commune level.

Another urgent task is the resettlement of people in landslide-prone areas. The Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee requested that departments and agencies coordinate closely with localities to implement this immediately in 2025, ensuring housing for people in concentrated or mixed-use arrangements. This needs to be implemented in conjunction with Resolution No. 09/2024/NQ-HĐND regulating the policy to support the program for stable resettlement of people in the province from 2024 to 2030; if necessary, social mobilization can be encouraged to ensure rapid and effective implementation.

Comrade Vo Trong Hai also emphasized the role of the Public Security, Military, and Border Guard forces in coordinating with local authorities in socio-economic development activities, disaster prevention and control, forest fire prevention and control, and ensuring security and order; in the immediate future, ensuring the conditions for people to enjoy the Spring Festival and celebrate Tet.

Regarding organizational structure and personnel, he requested priority be given to recruitment into the government sector; at the same time, a review of Party officials and civil servants with suitable expertise should be conducted to transfer them to the government sector.

At the same time, based on adjustments and updates to the commune planning, the Department of Construction will coordinate with localities to agree on the location of office buildings and public housing, avoiding waste. Surplus school buildings and offices need to be renovated and upgraded into public housing to ensure adequate living and working conditions for officials and civil servants.

Also on the working program, Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Vo Trong Hai inspected the Public Administrative Service Center of Tuong Duong commune. Despite it being Saturday, the Center was still open to serve the people and businesses.

It is known that every week, the Center organizes "Saturday and Sunday for the People" events, going directly to villages and hamlets, bringing machinery and equipment to carry out administrative procedures for the people. There, the comrade directly discussed with the people about the quality and attitude of service provided by the Center's staff.

At the same time, the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee also discussed with the commune leaders, the Center leaders, and civil servants, emphasizing the need to provide clear and complete guidance on procedures for citizens and businesses when conducting transactions, avoiding the need for multiple trips. The ultimate goal is to ensure that citizens are satisfied with the quality of public administrative services.