Well implement the National Target Program on Socio-Economic Development of Ethnic Minority Areas

Comrade Hau A Lenh - Member of the Party Central Committee, Minister, Chairman of the Ethnic Committee chaired the Central bridge.

The Nghe An bridge point was chaired by members of the Provincial Party Executive Committee: Bui Dinh Long - Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee; Vi Van Son - Head of the Provincial Ethnic Minorities Committee. Photo: Thanh Le

The report summarizing ethnic work in 2022 and deploying tasks in 2023 of the Ethnic Committee shows that: In 2022, the Ethnic Committee performed well the function of state management of ethnic programs, advising the Party, the National Assembly, the Government, and the Prime Minister to promptly concretize the Party's policies and resolutions of the National Assembly and the Government, and resolutely leading and directing them into action programs, projects, policies, and specific work plans; making efforts to deploy a large amount of work, with many key and central contents, close to reality, meeting the requirements of the tasks. The 2022 ethnic program at the central and local levels has many clear changes and outstanding results.

Representatives of leaders of departments, branches and sectors attended at Nghe An bridge point. Photo: Thanh Le

With the strong direction of the Government, the strong participation of all levels and sectors, and the efforts of ethnic minorities in synchronously implementing ethnic policies and social security policies, the lives of ethnic minorities are generally stable and increasingly improved. In 2022, the rate of poor ethnic minority households will decrease by over 3%/year; the rate of poor households in poor districts will decrease by 4-5%/year.

In Nghe An, the national target program on socio-economic development in ethnic minority and mountainous areas for the 2021-2030 period, phase I from 2021 to 2025, is being implemented in 131 communes and 588 extremely disadvantaged villages.

The national conference summarizing ethnic work in 2022 was held online with the participation of provinces and cities nationwide. Photo: Thanh Le

In addition to the above basic achievements, ethnic minority and mountainous areas still face many difficulties, challenges and urgent issues that need to be further resolved in the current period. These are: The economy is slow to develop compared to the potential of the region and is not yet stable; the socio-economic infrastructure is lacking and weak, not meeting the development requirements.

The lives of ethnic minorities and mountainous areas are still difficult, the rate of poor and near-poor households is still high. Although poverty reduction has made progress, it is not yet sustainable; the gap in living standards between ethnic minorities and the national average is slow to narrow.

Delegates attending at Nghe An bridge point. Photo: Thanh Le

The quality of education and human resources in ethnic minority and mountainous areas is still low. The implementation of some preferential policies on education for ethnic minority and mountainous areas has achieved certain results but has not yet met the requirements on the quantity and quality of human resources and staff for the sustainable development of ethnic minority and mountainous areas.

Discussing at the conference, delegates highly appreciated the results achieved in implementing ethnic work tasks in 2022. Opinions also frankly shared the difficulties of ethnic minority areas; obstacles and problems in implementing ethnic work, implementing ethnic policies and supplementing specific solutions.

Delegates suggested that the Ethnic Committee should pay attention to removing some difficulties and obstacles in implementing some ethnic policies and the National Target Program for Ethnic Minorities and Mountainous Areas related to capital allocation; guidance on capital norms; policies on education, health, health insurance, agricultural and forestry development associated with forest protection, etc.

View of Nghe An bridge. Photo: Thanh Le

The conference also agreed that in 2023, it will continue to effectively implement the Directives, Resolutions, and Conclusions of the Party, National Assembly, and Government; and the Prime Minister's directives and administrative documents related to the ethnic program.

Better organize the implementation of the National Target Program on Socio-Economic Development in Ethnic Minority and Mountainous Areas for the 2021-2030 period, Phase I from 2021 to 2025, focusing on removing difficulties and obstacles in implementing Decision No. 1719 to speed up the program's implementation progress.

Continue to develop, complete and issue documents guiding the implementation of the Program; Direct and guide localities to organize the implementation of the Program on schedule and effectively, periodically report to the Government and the Prime Minister on the results of the Program implementation.

At the same time, continue to carry out administrative reforms, effectively implement the Government's digital transformation policy, and apply digital transformation in ethnic affairs.