The National Assembly's Ethnic Council Supervisory Delegation works with the People's Committee of Nghe An province

Overview of the working session of the National Assembly's Ethnic Council's supervisory delegation with the People's Committee of Nghe An province. Photo: Pham Bang

BORDER AREAS AND MOUNTAIN AREAS HAVE MANY CHANGES

Reporting to the monitoring delegation, Head of the Provincial Ethnic Minorities Committee Vi Van Son said that Nghe An province has 27 communes in 6 districts in the border area with 662,956 people. In recent years, the border communes of the province have achieved important results, the rural appearance of this area has changed a lot, contributing to improving people's lives, developing the socio-economy, and sustainable poverty reduction. Currently, this area has 39,543 poor households, accounting for 21.20%; 18,845 near-poor households, accounting for 11.66%.

By June 30, 2022, the ethnic minority area has 35 communes, including 1 border commune, Tam Quang commune, Tuong Duong district, completing the new rural area. Attention is paid to socio-economic infrastructure, many key projects are being implemented. Information and communication infrastructure continues to be invested in border areas.

Head of the Provincial Ethnic Minorities Committee Vi Van Son reported on the implementation of socio-economic development and poverty reduction policies, in conjunction with ensuring national defense and security in border areas of ethnic minorities and mountainous areas. Photo: Pham Bang

The network of schools at all levels has been reviewed, planned, arranged reasonably, invested in and upgraded to meet the learning needs of students in border areas; the quality of education at all levels and grades continues to have positive changes; the grassroots health care network continues to be firmly consolidated, improved and supplemented with medical staff in border communes. The national defense - security and order situation is basically maintained; foreign affairs activities are enhanced.

Over the years, the Provincial Party Committee, People's Council and People's Committee have always paid attention to leading and directing the economic development of border areas and considered this an important task in socio-economic development, ensuring national defense and security in border areas. At the same time, directing all levels and sectors to fully and promptly implement the Central's policies and resolutions on economic development and poverty reduction in border areas.

Members of the monitoring delegation speak at the working session. Photo: Pham Bang

Members of the monitoring delegation speak at the working session. Photo: Pham Bang

Nghe An province assessed that in the period of 2016 - 2021, many investment policies to support ethnic minority people in the area have been effectively implemented, contributing to improving and enhancing the lives of ethnic minorities. The goals and targets of the program and policies are suitable to the current socio-economic context of ethnic mountainous areas; many targets are quantified, including some that have been achieved and exceeded so far.

With the attention of the province and the Central Government through mechanisms, policies, and investment support, the budget has focused on investing quite a lot to develop economic and social infrastructure, especially transportation, irrigation, power transmission systems, hospitals, schools, etc., contributing to significantly improving the economic and social infrastructure system, gradually meeting the requirements of economic and social development and ensuring national defense and security.

Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Council Nguyen Nhu Khoi spoke at the meeting. Photo: Pham Bang

Deputy Director of the Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs Ho Thi Chau Loan spoke at the meeting. Photo: Pham Bang

However, besides that, there are still some indicators and goals of the program and policies that have not been completed or completed at a low level, such as: Unsustainable economic growth, low results in implementing some important economic development indicators, such as: Growth rate, economic restructuring, budget revenue, per capita income, etc. Nghe An province also pointed out the shortcomings and limitations in implementing policies; proposed many contents to the monitoring delegation.

At the working session, the monitoring delegation requested the Provincial People's Committee to clarify the contents related to the National Target Program on Socio-Economic Development in Ethnic Minorities and Mountainous Areas for the 2021-2030 period; Poverty Reduction Program in Ethnic Minorities and Mountainous Areas; Results of Reducing the Number of Communes in Region III of Nghe An; Results of Vocational Training and Job Creation for Workers in Mountainous Areas... Representatives of departments and branches of Nghe An province directly answered, explained, and clarified the contents that the monitoring delegation was interested in.

NGHE AN HAS BEEN CARING AND MAKING EFFORTS IN DIFFICULT CONDITIONS

Speaking at the meeting, Mr. Nguyen Duc Trung - Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee emphasized that the opinions of the members of the monitoring delegation have suggested solutions for the province to better implement policies. The province will fully absorb and in the coming time, assign sectors and localities to implement and promote the highest efficiency of socio-economic development policies, poverty reduction, associated with ensuring national defense and security in border areas of ethnic minorities and mountainous areas.

Comrade Nguyen Duc Trung - Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee spoke at the meeting. Photo: Pham Bang

The Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee said that Nghe An is the province with the largest area in the country, the fourth largest population, and the longest land border. Although the province's overall socio-economic situation has improved in recent times, the border areas of ethnic minorities and mountainous areas still face many difficulties.

This is reflected in the high rate of poor and near-poor households; the average income per capita in ethnic minority and mountainous areas is only 70% of the average income per capita of the province, and in border communes it is less than 50% of the average of the province. The implementation of socio-economic development tasks in this area also faces many difficulties in terms of production land, terrain, and complex terrain...

On the other hand, in the period of 2016-2021, when implementing the two National Target Programs on sustainable poverty reduction and new rural construction, the province has focused resources on implementing policies in this area. However, the results have not yet reached the set targets due to many reasons, including the leadership and direction of all levels.

Comrade Nguyen Duc Trung also added that the leadership motto of Nghe An province for mountainous and border districts in recent times is to maintain 3 peace: Peace for the people - Peace for the area - Peace for the border. And in fact, the rural appearance of ethnic minority and mountainous areas of Nghe An has made much progress compared to other localities. Localities have preserved some cultural values ​​of ethnic minorities; ensured national border security and sovereignty; and taken good care of education.

Leaders of departments, branches and sectors attended the working session. Photo: Pham Bang

Analyzing policies to support socio-economic development, poverty reduction, and ensuring national defense and security in border areas of ethnic minorities and mountainous areas, Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Nguyen Duc Trung proposed that it is possible to study and issue policies to encourage businesses to invest in ethnic minority and mountainous areas through preferential support on taxes, transportation costs, etc., thereby solving employment and improving the lives of people in this area.

In her concluding remarks, Comrade Cao Thi Xuan - Vice Chairwoman of the National Assembly's Ethnic Council, Head of the Supervisory Delegation acknowledged and highly appreciated the leadership and direction of Nghe An province's leaders in implementing the policy of socio-economic development, poverty reduction, and ensuring national defense and security in the border areas of ethnic minorities and mountainous areas in recent times.

The Vice Chairman of the National Assembly's Ethnic Council acknowledged and highly appreciated the efforts and endeavors in leadership and organization of implementation of all levels and sectors in Nghe An province in implementing ethnic policies in general, including policies on socio-economic development and poverty reduction for border areas of ethnic minorities and mountainous areas. In addition, the province has paid attention to this area by issuing new mechanisms and policies and organizing implementation with good results.

Comrade Cao Thi Xuan - Vice Chairwoman of the National Assembly's Ethnic Council delivered a concluding speech at the meeting. Photo: Pham Bang

Sharing the difficulties of Nghe An province, the Vice Chairman of the National Assembly's Ethnic Council suggested that the province pay attention to assessing and clarifying more data on vocational training, the number of workers working abroad; new rural construction in border communes; security and order situation in the area in general and border areas in particular; data on inspection and examination work; results of implementing the National Target Program on Sustainable Poverty Reduction and the National Target Program on Socio-Economic Development in Ethnic Minority and Mountainous Areas.

Comrade Cao Thi Xuan said that in the coming time, Nghe An needs to continue to pay attention and direct more closely the implementation of ethnic policies in the province, including policies for 27 border communes; fully, synchronously and seriously implement all policies for border areas. On the other hand, departments, branches and sectors need to proactively and actively advise the Provincial People's Committee to implement the Party and State's policies on socio-economic development, poverty reduction, associated with ensuring national defense and security in border areas of ethnic minorities and mountainous areas and use all investment resources for the right purposes and effectively.