Nghe An: New rural areas go into more depth and substance

Nghe An Newspaper interviewed comrade Nguyen Van Hang - Deputy Chief of the Office of New Rural Area Coordination of Nghe An province about some contents of the program.

Leaders of the Provincial New Rural Area Coordination Office view OCOP products of localities. Photo: Tran Chau

PV:Dear comrade, new rural construction is one of the important targets of the Resolution of the 19th Provincial Party Congress, term 2020 - 2025. Could you please tell us about the results of new rural construction in the province up to now?

Comrade Nguyen Van Hang:Nghe An is the largest province in the country and has many potentials, advantages and difficulties that affect the overall process of building new rural areas of the province. However, over the years, this key political task has always been focused on leadership and direction by the Party Committee, government, political and social organizations from the province to the grassroots.

By the end of 2022, Nghe An had 309/411 communes meeting new rural standards (75.18%); 42 communes meeting advanced new rural standards (accounting for 14.23% of new rural communes); 6 communes meeting model new rural standards. There were 9 district, town and city-level units completing tasks/meeting new rural standards, namely Vinh City, Thai Hoa Town, Hoang Mai Town, Nam Dan, Yen Thanh, Nghi Loc, Quynh Luu, Do Luong, Dien Chau districts. The average criteria for the whole province is 16.95 criteria/commune. The average income per capita in rural areas is expected to be 35.5 million VND/year by the end of 2022, the poverty rate is expected to be 6.49% by the end of 2022, the rate of rural people using clean water according to the standards in Decision No. 4826/QD-BNN of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has reached 87% so far.

Quynh Doi village gate, Quynh Luu district. Photo: Hong Dien

Through new rural construction, positive changes are created in the material and spiritual life of rural people, promoting economic, cultural - social, defense - security development in rural areas of Nghe An.

PV:Building new rural areas in the mountainous areas of Nghe An still faces many difficulties. According to you, what solutions are needed to overcome this reality?

Comrade Nguyen Van Hang:Along with the care and attention of the Central Government, the province, and policies for mountainous and ethnic areas, the leading solution is the active role of the locality and the community where the program is implemented.

Currently, the communes that have not reached the new rural target are mainly mountainous and disadvantaged communes. For these communes, especially in localities with low local budget revenue, mainly dependent on the central budget, striving to meet all 19 criteria in the next 5 years is difficult to achieve. Therefore, it is necessary to determine appropriate goals for disadvantaged communes to motivate them to rise up, gradually overcoming the mentality of waiting for support from the State. In addition, there is also a need for adjustments in methods, mechanisms and policies to ensure the role of implementing subjects.

Localities need to effectively implement the integration of the National Target Programs on Poverty Reduction, New Rural Development and Development of Ethnic Minority and Mountainous Areas. Prioritize investment in the following areas: Production Development, Livelihood Creation to Increase Income, Reduce Poverty, Improve People's Knowledge, and Develop Essential Infrastructure. At the same time, it is necessary to pay attention to reviewing and evaluating the results of production development support projects of invested programs in mountainous areas. For particularly difficult communes, the important and prioritized task is to develop production and create sustainable livelihoods for people.

A corner of Do Luong town. Photo: Tran Chau

On the other hand, it is necessary to strengthen the extensive and practical propaganda work to the people about the policies, rights and obligations of each individual, community, village and hamlet in building new rural areas. Taking internal strength as the foundation, thoroughly understanding the content, methods and ways of doing, confidently standing up to take the lead, voluntarily participating and being creative in organizing and implementing with the motto "people know, people do, people discuss".

Communes need to proactively prioritize the implementation of easy, low-cost criteria, and should not rely on capital allocation from higher levels. There is a clear and specific division of labor in directing the implementation of the new rural development program, contributing to the development of disadvantaged mountainous communes, shortening the gap with lowland communes on the roadmap to new rural development.

PV:It is known that currently the requirements for new rural and advanced new rural criteria according to the new regulations of the Government are higher. So, what is the solution to the above problem, comrade?

Comrade Nguyen Van Hang:Recently, the Prime Minister issued Decision No. 318/QD-TTg promulgating the National Criteria for New Rural Communes and the National Criteria for Advanced New Rural Communes, period 2021 - 2025 (effective from March 8, 2022), with many additional contents and higher requirements. Therefore, the solution is that local Party committees and authorities need to be more focused, determined, and creative in directing, ensuring the completion of the goal of building new rural areas, advanced new rural areas, and model new rural areas according to the roadmap.

Production of bamboo and rattan products in Vinh city. Photo: Tran Chau

Accordingly, make the most of the Central Government's support resources, strengthen the synchronous and close integration of capital resources between National Target Programs and projects to improve the efficiency of resource use to implement programs in localities. Continue to diversify capital sources towards socialization.

Strengthen inspection and supervision in the implementation of the New Rural Development Program, focusing on strictly managing the use of resources to implement the program, promoting the role of supervision and social criticism of the Fatherland Front, political and social organizations, and supervision of the community.

Implement the construction of new rural areas with comprehensive and sustainable development associated with urbanization, ensuring substance, depth, and efficiency, for the benefit of the people. Improve living conditions, housing, innovate thinking and lifestyle, preserve and promote national cultural identity, ensure political and environmental security, narrow the development gap between rural and urban areas, between regions. Closely combine socio-economic development with strengthening and enhancing national defense and security, sustainable socio-economic development in border areas, seas, islands, and disadvantaged areas... Maintain and promote the emulation movement "Nghe An joins hands to build new rural areas", promptly reward well-performing collectives and individuals.

PV:Thank you, comrade!