Results of the "new rural development" program and the dilemma of becoming a "regional center".

(Baonghean) - Implementing the National Target Program for New Rural Development is another important condition for Thai Hoa Town to accelerate infrastructure development and transform all aspects of life in suburban areas, creating a basis for speeding up the connection of urban spaces… However, for Thai Hoa to rise to become a center and driving force for development in the Northwest region, there are still many concerns...

We returned to Nghia My commune in Thai Hoa town and witnessed the clear transformation of a poor commune on the outskirts of the town, marked by the results of the new rural development program. The commune, which originally had a complex terrain with small, narrow, and winding inter-village and inter-hamlet roads, has now been replaced by a system of wide, standardized concrete roads. As one town leader put it, Nghia My is now like a "giant construction site," with many new rural development projects and items being urgently constructed, striving to be completed ahead of schedule. At the time the new rural development program was launched three years ago, Nghia My had only met 6 criteria; now the commune has met 16 out of 19 criteria; the remaining 3 criteria include: cultural infrastructure; The poverty rate and environmental criteria are awaiting review, but they are likely to be met, meaning Nghia My will complete its New Rural Area (NRA) plan in 2014. Regarding this impressive result, Ms. Cao Thi Huong, Chairwoman of the Nghia My Commune People's Committee, said: “It can be said that this is a consistent and effective result stemming from the close attention and guidance of the town, the unified leadership of the Party Committee and the Commune People's Committee, which led to specific plans and solutions to mobilize all resources, especially the support and active participation of the entire population and businesses in the area.”

Dong Hieu Kindergarten (Thai Hoa Town). Photo: Sy Minh

It's worth mentioning the appropriate methods and solutions at different times during Nghia My's New Rural Development program. Regarding the rural transportation criterion, the commune's steering committee didn't choose a strong hamlet as a pilot to replicate, but instead selected Long Thuong hamlet, the poorest in the commune, with the motto of… choosing the weak to “boost” the strong. Long Thuong hamlet has over 70 households, 65 of which are ethnic Tho people, facing difficult living conditions; before the implementation of the New Rural Development Program, Long Thuong was almost isolated from other hamlets in the commune. By choosing Long Thuong as a pilot, the Party Committee and government of Nghia My commune wanted to test the willpower and effectiveness of the leadership and management of the cadres, and the ability of the hamlet's Party branch and committee to mobilize the people's support. To get the 25 households along the internal hamlet road to agree to give up their land for road expansion, the Party branch and committee proactively went to each house to directly explain and persuade the people about the purpose and significance of the New Rural Development Program, and about their rights and obligations. Thanks to persuasive and reasonable communication and mobilization, 25 households unanimously donated land for road construction, totaling nearly 6,000 square meters. At the same time, the people of Long Thuong contributed nearly 100 million VND (an average of 300,000 VND per person) to purchase sand and gravel for rural road construction… To date, the 1,600-meter-long Long Thuong internal village road, built to New Rural Area standards, has been completed and put into use. The success in mobilizing people to participate in building new rural areas in Long Thuong village has "stimulated" the remaining 13 villages of Nghia My to strive to meet the New Rural Area criteria. With many unique approaches, Nghia My, from being a poor commune with a low starting point, has made remarkable progress, becoming the first commune in Thai Hoa town to achieve New Rural Area status in 2014.

Nghia Hoa commune, one of the most disadvantaged communes in the town and home to the Lang Vac archaeological site, has truly transformed the lives of its people through the implementation of the new rural development program. Leading us along the newly constructed, spacious, and smooth concrete roads in Tan Ap and Dien Binh hamlets, Comrade Hoang Nghia Thai, Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of the People's Committee of the commune, said: "Since the beginning of the year, Nghia Hoa has built 6.6 km of new rural roads; the people have donated 3,747 square meters of land, contributed 1,930 man-days of labor, dismantled 1,500 meters of fences, and contributed over 260 million VND in cash." Nghia Hoa, a poor commune with a low starting point, has truly been infused with new energy by the New Rural Development Program. Now, it's not just about improved village roads or a series of infrastructure projects; more importantly, it's about changing the mindset of doing business and building a new kind of people in this ancient land.

One noticeable characteristic of Thai Hoa Town is its limited geographical area and small number of communes. Therefore, when implementing the new rural development program, the town's Steering Committee places great emphasis on depth and focuses on improving people's income. Many successful models and practices have been adopted and replicated in the communes, such as: in Phu Thuan hamlet, Tay Hieu commune, there is a model for cultivating various types of mushrooms: black oyster mushrooms, white oyster mushrooms, and reishi mushrooms; in Dong Hieu commune, there is a focus on dairy farming and growing grass for Vinamilk's dairy farm; in Nghia Thuan commune, there is a model for growing green vegetables and commercial flowers, and promoting labor export through the support and favorable conditions of the commune's People's Credit Fund; Nghia Hoa commune is developing two models: breeding cattle for meat production and growing lilies...

It can be seen that, after 4 years of implementing the Resolution of the First Party Congress and 3 years of implementing the new rural development program, Thai Hoa town has become a dynamic young urban area, with a thriving suburban and rural area. Positive results have been achieved in some areas such as education, health, and social welfare. However, in implementing the orientation of building Thai Hoa into a commercial, service, cultural, and social center of the Northwest region of the province, and a "dynamic urban center of the South Thanh Hoa - North Nghe An region" as planned by the Government, there are still many limitations compared to the requirements set forth.

More than a year ago, during a review of the first two and a half years of implementing the Resolution of the Town Party Congress, the Standing Committee and Executive Committee of the Town Party Committee frankly acknowledged some shortcomings and weaknesses in socio-economic development, such as some targets that were difficult to achieve, in order to focus on solutions to overcome them, including: economic growth rate of 15%/18.75% of the plan; total production value in 2014 estimated at 3,083,341 million VND/3,911,981 million VND, reaching 79% of the congress resolution (NQDH), in which, the value of trade and service production, which was thought to be an advantage, has only reached 61.4% of the NQDH target... After the congress, Thai Hoa issued 21 projects in all aspects and fields, and after nearly four years of implementing the NQDH, out of 30 targets, 12 have been achieved or exceeded; Thirteen targets are achievable, while five are difficult to achieve (economic growth rate, production value, economic structure, number of national standard schools, and job creation). Comrade Le Tien Tri, Secretary of the Town Party Committee, also acknowledged that the congress resolution set overly high goals, targets, and expectations without considering or forecasting the resources and direct impacts of the economic downturn, difficulties in planning, investment attraction, and other issues affecting the local economy. Therefore, while aiming to become a regional trade and service center to fully exploit its potential and geographical advantages, Thai Hoa still lacks adequate trade and service centers, and its infrastructure in this sector does not meet practical needs. Even with the goal of becoming a regional medical center, the existing infrastructure and facilities are inadequate, and the overcrowding and inadequacies of the old hospital, coupled with the slow progress of the 250-bed general hospital project and the lack of a defined inauguration date, pose significant obstacles...

Clearly, Thai Hoa Town is facing both great opportunities and challenges in its rapid development into a regional center in the Northwest in several areas. Therefore, research and adjustments are needed to formulate resolutions, projects, and forecast plans for the 2015-2020 period. It is known that recently, to create highlights for the town, the Standing Committee of the Town Party Committee has taken decisive action, issuing directives and instructions to address the delays in eight key projects. Thanks to this, initial fundamental changes have been made to the urban landscape, building confidence among investors. Regarding some solutions for the future, Comrade Le Tien Tri - Secretary of the Town Party Committee - said: “From now until the end of the year, Thai Hoa will complete the overall planning until 2020, along with the implementation of planning management. The town will connect resources to invest in completing important transportation infrastructure from the surrounding areas to the town center, invest in urban infrastructure, and focus on attracting strategic investors, paying attention to and supporting investors who have already implemented projects in the area.”

Huu Nghia