Minister, Chairman of the Ethnic Committee: We need to encourage people to be self-reliant in eliminating hunger and reducing poverty.

The Central Steering Committee's working delegation, led by comrade Do Van Chien, inspected the implementation of Resolution No. 24-NQ/TW of the Central Executive Committee (9th tenure) on ethnic affairs and 25 years of implementing Directive No. 45-CT/TW of the Party Central Committee's Secretariat (7th tenure) on some work in the Mong ethnic minority area in Tuong Duong district. Also participating in the delegation were comrade Nguyen Lam - Deputy Head of the Central Committee for Mass Mobilization and representatives of a number of central agencies, departments and branches.

Receiving the delegation, on the side of Nghe An province were comrades: Nguyen Van Thong - Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee; Le Hong Vinh - Member of the Provincial Party Standing Committee, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee; Luong Thanh Hai - Head of the Provincial Ethnic Minorities Committee; Nguyen Van Hai - Secretary of Tuong Duong District Party Committee and representatives of relevant departments and branches.

Working session scene. Photo: Thanh Quynh

Positive signs

Working with the Party Committee and the government of Tuong Duong district, the working delegation listened to a report on the implementation of Resolution 24-NQ/TW and Directive No. 45-CT/TW in the whole district. Specifically, the socio-economic situation in the district has had many positive changes, the average economic growth rate in the period 2010 - 2018 reached 12.2%, the average income reached 27 million VND/person/year (in 2003 it only reached 8.62 million VND/person/year).

The lives of ethnic minorities in Tuong Duong district have been significantly improved, initially forming concentrated raw material areas associated with product consumption such as: concentrated specialized areas for growing passion fruit of more than 180 hectares in Nhon Mai, Huu Khuong, Tam Hop communes; raw cassava growing areas in Tam Dinh, Yen Thang, Nga My, Xieng My and 15 hectares of red turmeric cultivation along with more than 400 high-value economic models.

The work of land allocation and issuance of certificates of forest land use rights in the district has been basically completed. Of which, the whole district has allocated 200,538 hectares of forest land to communities, organizations, households and individuals for proper use.

The grassroots political system is consolidated, clean and strong; the position and role of organizations and people in participating in the effective implementation of ethnic policies are enhanced. National defense and security in ethnic and mountainous areas are maintained; forces that sabotage national unity, drug trafficking, and illegal border crossings that destabilize society are promptly prevented.

The above results have affirmed the correct policies of the Party and State on ethnic work in Tuong Duong district.

Currently, Tuong Duong has more than 400 economic models for hunger eradication and poverty reduction. Photo: Thanh Quynh

Recommendations from the grassroots

At the working session, the leaders of Tuong Duong district hoped that the Party and State would continue to pay attention and support the district in the coming time.

At the same time, the locality proposed that the Central Government direct the early implementation of phase 2 of bringing national grid electricity to 25 villages without grid electricity in the locality according to Decision No. 2081/QD-TTg of the Prime Minister; direct ministries and branches to effectively implement the Project on Developing Ethnic Minority Cadres, Civil Servants and Public Employees in the New Period approved in Decision No. 402/QD-TTg dated March 14, 2016 of the Prime Minister; allow the conversion of some poor forest areas without protection capacity into forestry production land to hand over to people for planting raw material forests.

In Pha Khao village (Mai Son commune), long cracks have appeared around the village. The village's kindergarten and primary school have been seriously eroded, forcing these two schools to close and students to temporarily study at local residents' homes. Therefore, the district has requested the Central Government to allocate support resources according to Decision No. 20185/QD-TTg of the Prime Minister approving specific policies to support socio-economic development.

Regarding education, Tuong Duong leaders proposed allowing high school students in the area to enjoy boarding policies, because most of the local students are children of ethnic minorities, settled in remote areas far from the center, and their lives still face many difficulties.

Finally, the locality proposed to approve the resettlement project for Mong people in Luu Phong village (Luu Kien commune) who illegally migrated and were returned by Laos according to Decision 61/QD-TTg of the Prime Minister approving the plan "Arranging and stabilizing the population for free migrants returning from the Lao PDR".

Tuong Duong is one of the 62 poorest districts in the country. Its natural area is 280,777 hectares, accounting for 17% of the province's total area. Its population is more than 75,000 people with 6 ethnic groups living there. Photo: Google Maps

Implementing well ethnic policies and work in the new situation

At the working sessions with Tuong Duong district, the working delegation highly appreciated the efforts of the locality in implementing and bringing the Resolution into life and achieving many important criteria such as people's lives being improved, the proportion of ethnic minorities in the government apparatus being ensured; social order, security and defense being ensured; infrastructure being invested in a systematic manner...

However, comrade Do Van Chien noted that in the coming time, Tuong Duong district needs to continue to pay attention to and well implement ethnic policies and work in the new situation. Especially labor training programs and on-site job creation for ethnic minorities when according to statistics, there are more than 12,000 workers from other provinces in the district, of which the number of legal workers is less than 5,000 people.

The district's poverty rate is still high (accounting for more than 30% in 2018), requiring the locality to be more determined in poverty reduction, building economic models that are close to the interests of the people, promoting the application of scientific advances in building production models. At the same time, the district needs to implement technology transfer programs, improve skills, and form a new generation of farmers who can adapt to the market mechanism in ethnic minority areas.

Comrade Do Van Chien hopes that Tuong Duong district will continue to implement well the ethnic policies and work in the new situation. Photo: Thanh Quynh

In the coming time, the district needs to research and propose policies to encourage people to be self-reliant in eliminating hunger and reducing poverty, to gradually replace direct support and free policies. The local proposals and recommendations will be compiled by the Working Group and reported to the Secretariat.

On the same morning, the working delegation had a working session and presented gifts to 25 poor households and 50 children in especially difficult circumstances who are ethnic minorities in Luu Kien commune (Tuong Duong). Photo: Thanh Quynh

Thanh Quynh