Continue to mobilize people to implement the National Target Program on new rural construction

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Resolution13th National Congress of DelegatesThe Party affirmed the policy: "Continue to implement the National Target Program on new rural construction in the direction of linking with the urbanization process, going into depth, effectively and sustainably; carry out the construction of advanced new rural areas, model new rural areas and the construction of new rural areas at the village and hamlet level"(Documents of the 13th Party Congress, TII, T107-108, National Political Publishing House, Truth, 2021).

Thus, the New Rural Program set out in the 2021-2025 period must achieve higher quality in the direction of being associated with the civilized urbanization process but still maintaining the cultural identity of the Vietnamese countryside "green, clean, beautiful", environmentally friendly. Building new rural areas associated with developing the rural economy is increasingly effective, sustainable, and gradually achieving the national criteria for advanced new rural areas and model new rural areas that the Government will issue.

The highlight of the Resolution of the 13th National Party Congress is to determine the relationship between ecological agriculture, modern countryside and civilized farmers through specific measures such as development mechanisms and policies, prioritizing science and technology, linking agriculture with industry and market, etc.

Implementing the Party's policy on new rural construction, the Prime Minister signed Decision No. 1689/QD-TTg dated October 11, 2021 promulgating the plan to implement Resolution No. 25/2021/QH15 dated July 28, 2021 of the National Assembly on approving the investment policy of the National Target Program on new rural construction for the period 2021-2025. One of the issues that need to be fully and correctly understood when implementing the National Target Program on new rural construction is to effectively promote the people's mastery and promote the role of the people in the process of participating in policy formulation and implementation. In fact, wherever President Ho Chi Minh's teaching is well implemented, "the people's strength is very large. Mass mobilization is very important. If mass mobilization is poor, everything will be poor."skillful mass mobilization"If everything is successful, then the implementation of the new rural policy will be highly effective."

Nghe An strives to build new rural areas in localities. Photo: PV - Contributor

Responding to the emulation movement "The whole country joins hands to build new rural areas" launched by the Prime Minister in Decision No. 1620/QD-TTg dated September 20, 2011, the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front responded and launched the emulation movement "The whole people join hands to build new rural areas and civilized urban areas" in coordination with Vietnam Television, Voice of Vietnam, Nhan Dan Newspaper and a number of newspapers to implement the program. The Vietnam General Confederation of Labor coordinated with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to sign a joint agreement to direct trade unions at all levels to develop an implementation plan, in order to promote the emulation movement to serve the industrialization and modernization of agriculture and rural areas associated with the emulation movement to build new rural areas.

The Central Committee of the Vietnam Veterans Association has directed its members nationwide to respond to the emulation movement "Exemplary veterans" with the movement "Veterans give advice and contribute to building new rural areas". The Vietnam Women's Union participates in building new rural areas with the campaign "Building families with 5 no's and 3 clean's". The Vietnam Farmers' Association has promoted and mobilized farmer members to participate in building new rural areas, through the contests "Countryside singing", "Farmers compete in talent". The Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union launched the movement "Youth join hands to build new rural areas" combined with the movement "Four companions with youth to establish a career", ... Central departments, ministries and branches to the grassroots have all had practical activities contributing to the great and comprehensive results of the new rural construction program. The Fatherland Front and socio-political organizations of the province have also actively responded to the emulation movements launched by the Central level.

According to data from the Central Steering Committee for the National Target Programs for the 2016-2020 period, the whole country has mobilized VND 2,418,471 billion (equivalent to about 110 billion USD) to implement the new rural program, of which capital mobilized from people and voluntary contributions from the community accounts for about 8.2%. By July 2021, 64.63% of communes nationwide have met new rural standards, of which 351 communes have met advanced new rural standards and 38 communes have met model new rural standards, 192 districts in 51 provinces and centrally-run cities have been recognized by the Prime Minister as having completed the task of meeting new rural standards.

In addition, 12 provinces have 100% of communes meeting new rural standards. The average income of rural people increased from 12.8 million VND/year (2010) to 35.88 million VND/year (2018). The income gap between rural and urban areas decreased from 2.1 times in 2010 to 1.8 times in 2018. The poverty rate decreased rapidly from 17.35% in 2010 (according to the old criteria) to 7.03% in 2018 (according to multidimensional criteria) and is now only about 4.8%. Rural socio-economic infrastructure has been strengthened in a synchronous manner, gradually connecting with urban areas, the rural economy has grown quite well and shifted strongly towards industry - services, the agricultural sector has transformed to increase added value. Education, health care, and cultural life in rural areas are increasingly developing...

Yen Thanh District (Nghe An) received the Decision to recognize the district as meeting new rural standards in 2019. Photo: Thanh Cuong

For Nghe An, according to data from the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, by the end of 2020, the whole province had 280/411new rural standard commune, accounting for 68.13%. There are 2 communes that have met the advanced new rural standards: Kim Lien commune (Nam Dan) and Quynh Doi commune (Quynh Luu), there are 4 district-level units that have completed the task of meeting the new rural standards: Thai Hoa town, Vinh city, Nam Dan district and Yen Thanh district. According to the General Statistics Office, the average income per capita in rural areas reached 34.44 million VND (in 2020), the poverty rate is 3.42%.

However, although the rural economy and cooperative economy have made progress, they are still slow and have not met the requirements. Rural development is not uniform among regions, the connection between rural and urban economies is still weak, infrastructure has not met the requirements, in many places there is a situation of rural concretization, the area of ​​trees and garden houses has decreased. Environmental pollution in some areas is still serious, including water pollution in rivers, streams and canals. The quality of food hygiene and safety and agricultural products is an issue of concern to society, but the control work of functional agencies is still weak. The connection between new rural areas and restructuring of the agricultural sector is not tight. The quality of standards and the work of maintaining sustainable results after achieving standards are not really good.

The causes of the above limitations, in addition to the objective causes due to the impact of natural disasters and climate change, are mainly subjective causes. The leadership, direction, and management of the implementation of the National Target Program on New Rural Development in some localities and establishments have not been active, resolute, and regular. Some places are mainly interested in developing infrastructure, but have not paid due attention to creating livelihoods for people, developing healthcare, education, building cultural life, and environmental protection awareness, so the program has not had clear changes.

To continue implementing the National Target Program on New Rural Construction for the 2021-2025 period, especially in the context of the complicated developments of the Covid-19 pandemic, it is recommended that all levels and sectors pay attention to leading and directing a number of tasks. First of all, continue to do a good job of mass mobilization, promote propaganda work, raise awareness among people of all walks of life in rural areas, improve the quality of emulation movements on new rural construction, in which, focus on enhancing the role of the people and the community in participating in new rural construction. Thoroughly grasp and organize the implementation of the motto "People know, people discuss, people do, people inspect, people supervise, people benefit" in the process of implementing the new rural program. Regularly update and disseminate advanced models, typical examples, initiatives and good experiences on new rural construction for widespread replication.

Panorama of Nam Dan town. Photo courtesy: Nguyen Sach

Based on the specific conditions of each locality, creatively and effectively apply solutions to mobilize resources (materials, capital, labor, etc.) to implement the program. To mobilize resources effectively and create consensus among the majority of people, all levels, sectors and units must respect and implement well the democratic regulations at the grassroots level. Promote and improve the quality of supervision work, attach importance to people's supervision, strictly manage the use of resources to implement the program in association with transparency so that people know. It is recommended that the National Assembly and the Government continue to study and perfect the legal framework, mechanisms and policies to support the development of the new rural program. Strengthen international integration, cooperate with technical consulting support organizations, mobilize capital sources for the new rural development program, etc.

The important goal of the new rural program is to improve the material and spiritual life of the people, develop the rural economy, gradually build the Vietnamese countryside in general, Nghe An in particular, into a livable countryside, so that every rural person loves their homeland, is attached to their homeland, and lives a prosperous and happy life in their homeland.

Nguyen The Trung