Nghe An National Assembly Delegation discusses adjusting investment policy of National Target Program for socio-economic development in ethnic minority and mountainous areas

On the afternoon of May 25, the National Assembly discussed in groups the investment policy for the North-South Expressway construction project in the West, Gia Nghia (Dak Nong) - Chon Thanh (Binh Phuoc) section; Adjusting the investment policy for the National Target Program on Socio-Economic Development in Ethnic Minority and Mountainous Areas for the 2021-2030 period.

Attending the discussion session were comrade Do Van Chien - Politburo member, Secretary of the Party Central Committee, Chairman of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front, National Assembly Delegate of Nghe An.

The National Assembly Delegation of Nghe An province discussed in Group 3 with the National Assembly Delegations of Bac Kan and Quang Ngai provinces. Comrade Thai Thanh Quy - Member of the Party Central Committee, Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the Provincial People's Council, Head of the National Assembly Delegation of Nghe An province was the Head of the Group, chairing the discussion.

Speaking at the discussion, delegate Do Van Chien - Politburo member, Secretary of the Party Central Committee, Chairman of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front agreed with the investment policy of the North-South Expressway construction project in the West, Gia Nghia (Dak Nong) - Chon Thanh (Binh Phuoc) section.

“This is a strategic project with multi-faceted benefits: economic, political, defense, security and is also one of the driving forces for investment and development in ethnic minority and mountainous areas,” said the Chairman of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front.

Comrade Do Van Chien expressed his support for the Government's proposal to adjust the investment policy of the National Target Program on Socio-Economic Development in Ethnic Minority and Mountainous Areas for the 2021-2030 period.

Emphasizing the goal for management of a national target program is the output, delegate Do Van Chien said: The National Assembly has issued 2 resolutions and before building the national target program for socio-economic development in ethnic minority and mountainous areas for the period 2021 - 2030, it conducted a socio-economic survey in ethnic minority and mountainous areas and then established investment projects at the missing points, so there is no spread of investment.

Besides, regarding the difficulties in the practical implementation of this National Target Program, especially in communes that have achieved new rural status but people are still facing difficulties and the policy is not implemented, delegate Do Van Chien said that the reason is because the approach is not practical.

Delegates from Nghe An clearly analyzed the principle: Investment policies are implemented according to locality (communes in regions I, II, III); and policies for people such as health insurance and student support are implemented according to ethnicity and poor households. This way, there will be no problems.

However, in reality, because this is a new National Target Program implemented in this term, the policy adjustment does not match the above two principles, leading to problems.

On the other hand, Resolution 88 of the National Assembly also clearly states that after the end of Phase I (2021 - 2025), Phase II will continue to be implemented immediately, lasting until 2030. However, in principle, the Budget Law and the Public Investment Law stipulate: The allocation of capital for the 2026 - 2030 period must be decided by the next National Assembly (term XVI).

Therefore, delegate Do Van Chien suggested that the Government's advisory body and the National Assembly's Ethnic Council pay attention to advising that by the end of 2025, for the capital sources allocated in phase I whose outputs have not been achieved, there should be a policy of agreement to transfer to implementation in 2026 to ensure the continuity and effectiveness of the program.

The Chairman of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front also agreed with the construction of a system of boarding and semi-boarding schools for ethnic minorities in ethnic minority and mountainous areas to train human resources for these areas.

Regarding the above discussion, National Assembly Delegate Doan Nghe An Hoang Thi Thu Hien - Permanent Vice President of the Provincial Women's Union proposed that the Government review and remove from the list of beneficiaries unreasonable and inappropriate items in order to adjust capital sources for projects submitted for addition in this adjustment of investment policy.

In addition, delegates requested a clearer explanation of the criteria for selecting the subjects to be added this time; as well as the Government's solutions to fulfill the commitment to complete the targets set in phase I on time.

Because after adjusting the investment policy, it will entail adjusting Decision No. 1719/QD-TTg of the Prime Minister: Approving the National Target Program for Socio-Economic Development of Ethnic Minorities and Mountainous Areas for the 2021-2030 period, Phase I: From 2021 to 2025 and related guiding documents. Meanwhile, the reality of the past time shows that the delay in issuing related documents is one of the reasons leading to slow disbursement of capital sources.

Delegate Hoang Thi Thu Hien also proposed to carefully study and evaluate the adjustment of investment policies to build a scientific and objective tool for surveying outputs of phase I and inputs of phase II.

Speaking at the discussion, full-time National Assembly member of Nghe An Delegation Tran Nhat Minh proposed that the Government study, review and add vocational education and continuing education centers to the beneficiaries of the project on developing vocational education and creating jobs for workers in ethnic minority and mountainous areas.