Do not let localities react to the New Rural Criteria Set

“The new rural criteria set is very important to the success or failure of the new rural development program. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development must focus on completing this set of criteria, not letting localities react due to different interpretations when implementing it,” said Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue.

Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue chaired a meeting to give opinions on the set of new rural criteria for the 2016-2020 period. Photo: VGP/Thanh Chung

On September 13, Politburo member, Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue, Head of the Steering Committee for the National Target Program on New Rural Development, chaired a meeting of the Steering Committee, giving opinions on the set of new rural criteria for the 2016-2020 period.

Mr. Tran Thanh Nam, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Deputy Head of the Steering Committee, said that after more than 5 years of practical testing of the National Criteria for New Rural Development, it has been shown that some criteria are still not completely suitable for the specific realities of each region. Therefore, it is necessary to review, revise, supplement and issue a new set of criteria for the framework of new rural communes in the period 2016-2020.

The review, revision and supplementation of this set of criteria is also required by the National Assembly in Resolution No. 100/2015/QH13 on approving the investment policy for national target programs for the period 2016-2020 and in conjunction with the latest direction of the Resolution of the 12th Party Congress: "Transforming the rural economic structure associated with new rural construction and the process of urbanization in a reasonable manner" and "focusing on industrialization and modernization of agriculture and rural areas associated with new rural construction".

After listening to comments from leaders of ministries and branches, Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue, Head of the Program Steering Committee, emphasized: “The new rural criteria set is very important to the success or failure of the new rural construction program in the coming period. Drafting a few incorrect words will not be possible. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development must focus on completing this set of criteria, not letting localities react due to different understandings when implementing it.”

According to the Head of the Steering Committee, to amend and supplement this set of criteria, it is necessary to base on Resolution No. 26-NQ/T.Ư "On agriculture, farmers, and rural areas" of the 7th Central Conference, Session X, which identified the basic elements of the new rural area at the commune level and set 5 goals for building the new rural area: Improving the material and spiritual life of rural people; developing agriculture and rural areas according to planning with a synchronous infrastructure system and meeting the requirements of long-term development; green, clean, and beautiful environment; preserving and promoting the cultural identity of regions; and a solid political system.

Looking at the new rural development goals of Resolution 26, Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue affirmed: “The soft criteria of the new rural areas are very important, from people's lives, security, social safety, culture, environment and the strength of the political system. At that time, the hard criteria are only the content of development.”

Emphasizing the value of the new rural construction goals of the Central Resolution for the coming period, Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue also said that there are 3 emerging issues in new rural construction that have been tested in practice. That is, the criteria of new rural areas must have characteristics, specificities and levels of suitability for each region, area and locality, and not all regions can be the same; new rural construction must be consistent with the goal of building a model new rural area associated with civilized urban areas; integrating resources from other national target programs and the United Nations' sustainable development programs with new rural construction to avoid dispersion and waste.

From there, the Deputy Prime Minister requested that the National Criteria for New Rural Areas must address the 5 goals of the new rural area and resolve 3 issues that have emerged after 5 years of implementing the old Criteria. Accordingly, the new Criteria still includes 19 criteria, which will be of the nature of "framework criteria" for unified implementation nationwide. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and other ministries and branches will carefully review the criteria, standards, and contents, in accordance with Decision No. 1600/QD-TTg dated August 16, 2016 of the Prime Minister approving the National Target Program on New Rural Areas Construction for the 2016-2020 period and the Resolution of the 12th Party Congress on New Rural Areas Construction, and submit to the Prime Minister for promulgation of the National Criteria for New Rural Areas for the 2016-2020 period.

Regarding the enhancement of decentralization in implementing new rural criteria and standards, the Deputy Prime Minister requested that the common standards of each ministry and sector must be followed. Accordingly: “Ministries and sectors will guide and specify the criteria under their State management functions into specific standards. The People's Committees of provinces and centrally-run cities shall base on the guidance of ministries and sectors to specify the standards in accordance with the natural and social conditions and climate change situation in the area, but must not lower the targets and standards of the criteria,” Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue requested.

At the meeting, Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue also gave his opinion on amending the new rural criteria in the 2016-2020 period so that the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development could complete them and submit them to the Prime Minister for approval, and assigned the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to complete the documents and prepare for the national online meeting on new rural construction to be held as soon as possible.

According to Chinhphu.vn