The Ethnic Committee's Inspection Delegation worked with Nghe An province on implementing the national target program for ethnic minority and mountainous areas.

The Ethnic Committee Inspection Delegation was led by Comrade Y Thong - Deputy Minister, Vice Chairman of the Ethnic Committee; accompanied by Comrade Vo Van Bay - Chief Inspector of the Ethnic Committee and representatives of relevant departments and offices. On the side of Nghe An province, there were Comrade Bui Dinh Long - Member of the Provincial Party Executive Committee, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee; Comrade Vi Van Son - Member of the Provincial Party Executive Committee, Head of the Provincial Ethnic Committee, and representatives of a number of departments, branches and localities: Quy Hop, Quy Chau, Ky Son, Thanh Chuong.

National target program on socio-economic development in ethnic minority and mountainous areas for the 2021-2025 periodIn Nghe An, the project was implemented in 12 districts and towns, including 131 communes (76 communes in area III, 55 communes in area I), and 588 extremely disadvantaged villages.

To implement this program, the People's Committee of Nghe An province has submitted to the Provincial People's Council resolutions, regulations, instructions, and decentralization of management and implementation of the National Target Programs for the period 2021-2025. The Provincial People's Committee has also established a Steering Committee and a supporting apparatus, in which the Ethnic Committee is the agency presiding over the Program, coordinating with departments, branches, sectors and People's Committees of districts to implement.

Implementing the National Target Program on Socio-Economic Development in Ethnic Minority Areas in 2022 and 2023, the central budget capital assigned to Nghe An province is more than 2,247 billion VND and the local budget counterpart capital is more than 226 billion VND.

In Nghe An province, 10 projects have been implemented, such as: Project to solve the shortage of residential land, housing, production land, and domestic water; Project to plan, arrange, and stabilize the population in necessary places in the period of 2021-2025; Project to develop sustainable agricultural and forestry production, promote the potential and strengths of regions to produce goods according to the value chain...

In addition, in mountainous districts and ethnic minority areas, preferential credit policies are also implemented; special policies to support socio-economic development according to Decision No. 2085/QD-TTg dated October 31, 2016 of the Prime Minister; policies for prestigious people.

VEthnic minority and mountainous areas in Nghe An have an area of ​​13,745km², accounting for 83% of the natural area, with more than 1.1 million people, accounting for 36% of the province's population. Of which, there are 491,267 ethnic minorities, including 47 ethnic minorities, of which 5 ethnic minorities account for a high proportion: Thai, Mong, Kho Mu, Tho, O Du. The whole province has 27 border communes with 24 communes related to the implementation of policies for ethnic minority and mountainous areas.

According to the assessment of the Inspection Delegation, implementing the National Target Program on socio-economic development in ethnic minority and mountainous areas, the People's Committee of Nghe An province promptly issued directive documents, established a Steering Committee and supporting apparatus.

However, the planning of some agencies and units at district and commune levels is not yet timely; the guidance, inspection, supervision, and resolution of difficulties and problems of agencies and units assigned to preside over some projects, sub-projects, and components of the Program are not timely and regular.

By September 30, 2023, the disbursement results of the 2022 and 2023 capital plans reached 22.37% compared to the capital plan and assigned estimates; the local budget counterpart capital plan for 2022 reached 1.8% and by December 10, 2023, only 0.6% of the counterpart capital was arranged.

The progress of implementing some projects and sub-projects, and the content of components is still slow, the disbursement rate is low or has not been disbursed yet...

Comrade Vi Van Son - Head of the Provincial Ethnic Minorities Committee explained that the slow disbursement of some projects was due to some untimely regulations; lack of guidance from competent authorities, capital settlement mechanism... leading to slow implementation of some projects.

Representatives of some departments and branches in Nghe An also raised difficulties in implementing this Program and specific policies, in which some localities are located in mountainous areas, but are not in the ethnic minority and mountainous areas approved for the 2021-2025 period, so they do not benefit from support projects and policies.

Difficulties in implementing vocational training for ethnic minority people, in which boarding schools for ethnic minorities not located in ethnic minority areas will not benefit from the Program or vocational schools that carry out vocational training tasks for ethnic minorities but are located in district, city, and town centers will not benefit are still shortcomings...

Comrade Bui Dinh Long - Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee also proposed that the Inspection Delegation of the Ethnic Committee consider the difficulties and obstacles that the locality encountered in the process of implementing projects of the National Target Program on socio-economic development in ethnic minority and mountainous areas.

The province will continue to direct departments, branches and localities to promptly complete items to promote the effectiveness of projects and ensure the set goals.

Deputy Minister, Vice Chairman of the Ethnic Committee Y Thong also acknowledged the opinions and feedback from representatives of departments, branches and localities in Nghe An. At the same time, he requested the People's Committee of Nghe An province to direct all levels and branches to review and advise the People's Committee of the province to send documents to relevant ministries and branches on the promulgation of regulations, amendments, supplements, instructions, and removal of difficulties and obstacles for each project.

Direct the review of allocated capital sources and assign budget estimates to agencies and units to determine the subjects, conditions, and funding needs to be used to implement each project, sub-project, and component content of the Program.

In case the capital is not allocated to the right beneficiaries, does not meet the conditions, does not have capital demand or the demand is lower than the plan for each project, report to the ministries and branches to find solutions...