Nghe An: Prioritizing resources for especially disadvantaged communes and border communes

On the morning of October 18, the Provincial People's Committee held a conference to summarize 10 years of implementing the National Target Program on New Rural Construction and the emulation movement "Nghe An joins hands to build new rural areas" in the period of 2010 - 2020. Comrade Thai Thanh Quy - Alternate member of the Party Central Committee, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, Head of the Steering Committee of the National Target Program on New Rural Construction chaired the conference. Attending the conference were comrade Nguyen Van Thong - Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee; comrades of the Provincial Party Standing Committee: Cao Thi Hien - Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Council; Le Duc Cuong - Head of the Provincial Party Committee's Internal Affairs Committee; Vo Thi Minh Sinh - Chairman of the Provincial Fatherland Front Committee; Nguyen Nam Dinh - Secretary of the Party Committee of the Provincial Agencies Bloc, and representatives of departments, branches, and localities.

Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Thai Thanh Quy gave a speech at the conference. Photo: Thu Huyen

Nghe An New Rural Area reaches the finish line early

Over the past 10 years, Nghe An has mobilized more than 56 trillion VND from the Central Government, programs, projects, units, enterprises... to implement the National Target Program on New Rural Construction. With the strong direction from the province to the grassroots level, the investment of resources in the right focus and key points, the results of New Rural Construction that Nghe An has achieved are even and comprehensive. The average of the whole province currently reaches nearly 16 criteria/commune, with no communes below 5 criteria.

Overview of the conference. Photo: Thu Huyen

In addition to 3 district-level units, 225 communes and 674 villages meeting new rural standards, Nghe An now has 1 more district (Yen Thanh) and 35 communes completing 19/19 criteria; the ability to achieve and exceed the target of 61.5% of communes meeting the standards this year - finishing 1 year ahead of the plan assigned by the Prime Minister. In 2020, Nghe An continues to strive to have 25 more communes meeting the standards, bringing the total number of communes meeting the standards in the whole province to over 65%.

Results of implementing some basic indicators: Average income per capita in rural areas is estimated to reach over 28.5 million VND/year; the poverty rate has decreased to about 4% so far, and is estimated to decrease to 3% by the end of 2020; The rate of people participating in health insurance reached nearly 89.79%, an increase of 8.4% compared to the end of 2015; The rate of rural people using clean water according to the standards in Decision No. 2570/QD-BNN of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has reached 84.5% so far; Clean water according to QCVN 02/2009/BYT reached 45%.

At the conference, departments, branches and localities shared experiences, pointed out difficulties and problems and proposed solutions to implement the program with better and more sustainable results.

Nghe An is focusing on building a new rural area project in the border area. Photo courtesy of Sach Nguyen

Pay attention to "maintaining" new rural standards

In his concluding remarks at the conference, Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Thai Thanh Quy affirmed that the results of 10 years of building the new rural areas have clearly demonstrated the determination, consensus, and efforts of the Party Committee, the government, and the people of all ethnic groups in the province. However, the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee also said that the results achieved in building the new rural areas are only the first step, with some new contents reaching the threshold, and it is easy to fall short of the standard if there is no continued attention to leadership, direction, and drastic implementation. In particular, production organization, especially production linkage and market connection, are still limited. Jobs, income, and life of farmers are still difficult; Rural environmental sanitation has not been focused on.

Delegates visit booths introducing new rural products on the sidelines of the conference. Photo: Thu Huyen

To achieve the goals, tasks and plans for 2020 and the 2020 - 2025 period, Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Thai Thanh Quy requested that all levels, sectors and localities need to have higher determination; focus on leadership and direction; promote the combined strength of the entire people; organize and implement well the 8 key tasks. In particular, focus on completing the remaining tasks in 2019 and the 2016 - 2020 period; proactively develop plans and roadmaps to implement the National Target Program on New Rural Construction for the 2021 - 2025 period. Pay attention to building goals for the next period that are close to the actual situation; in addition to the goal of increasing the number of communes meeting New Rural standards, it is necessary to strengthen direction and prioritize resources for extremely disadvantaged communes and border communes.

The Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee awarded Certificates of Merit to collectives with outstanding achievements in the emulation movement "Nghe An joins hands to build new rural areas" in the period 2010 - 2020. Photo: Thu Huyen

Strengthen investment support solutions to improve the quality of health and education criteria, build cultural institutions, etc. for communes with low criteria (commune groups with less than 10 criteria), and effectively implement the Project to support villages and hamlets in mountainous areas and extremely difficult areas according to Decision No. 1385/QD-TTg dated October 21, 2018 of the Prime Minister. At the same time, include the target of building new rural areas in the Resolutions of Congresses at all levels for implementation...

Awarding Certificates of Merit to individuals with outstanding achievements in the emulation movement "Nghe An joins hands to build new countryside" in the period 2010 - 2020. Photo: Thu Huyen

On this occasion, the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee awarded Certificates of Merit to 11 collectives and 60 individuals with outstanding achievements in the emulation movement "Nghe An joins hands to build new rural areas" in the period 2010 - 2020.