New rural development: Pressure to meet deadlines after commune mergers.
In 2026, according to a resolution of the Provincial People's Council, Nghe An province aims to have 14 communes achieving the standards of new rural areas and modern new rural areas. However, the number of localities registered to reach this goal is still limited. In the context of commune mergers and territorial expansion, many localities are striving to review criteria and focus resources to achieve the target.
Determined to reach the finish line, but still waiting for the standard framework.
Quan Thanh commune was formed by merging four communes: Nam Thanh, Trung Thanh, Bac Thanh, and Xuan Thanh. The people here have a tradition of hard work and diligence, thanks to which their living standards have gradually improved.
In the previous phase of the new rural development movement, the government and people of the communes worked together to implement the criteria, creating encouraging results. Specifically, two communes achieved advanced new rural development standards and two communes achieved model new rural development standards, creating an important foundation for Quan Thanh commune to continue striving in the new phase.
Ms. Dang Thi Dung, Chairwoman of the People's Committee of Quan Thanh commune, said that the locality recently registered to achieve the new rural development goal by 2026. In terms of foundation, Quan Thanh commune has many advantages: basic infrastructure has been invested in, people's lives are gradually improving, and the grassroots political system has experience in implementing national target programs.
However, the biggest challenge currently is the lack of provincial-level criteria for new rural development, which can be used for comparison, review, and the development of a specific roadmap.
We are very determined, but at this point we still haven't been able to accurately assess how many criteria the commune has met, which criteria are still lacking, and what kind of investment is needed. Without a framework of criteria and specific guidelines, it is very difficult for localities to proactively implement the plan in a coordinated manner.
Ms. Dang Thi Dung - Chairperson of the People's Committee of Quan Thanh Commune
While awaiting official guidelines, Quan Thanh commune has proactively identified several key tasks to lay the foundation for achieving the new rural development goals.
First and foremost, the commune focused on investing in infrastructure development, considering it the "backbone" of the new rural development program. The chosen solution was to auction land use rights to generate budget revenue, thereby providing resources for investing in transportation, cultural centers, and essential infrastructure. Simultaneously, the locality promoted agricultural economic development, implementing effective production models linked to safe spring crop production, increasing value per unit area, creating jobs, and increasing income for the people.
A notable highlight is Quan Thanh commune's focus on administrative reform and digital transformation. Implementing Resolution No. 57 on the "Digital Literacy Movement," the commune has intensified its efforts to promote and guide people in using digital tools, especially the VNeID software, for handling administrative procedures and public services. This is considered a crucial foundation for meeting the criteria of the new rural development program, linked to the development of the digital economy and digital society in the new phase.
One of the most pressing issues facing Quan Thanh commune today is the provision of clean water for its residents. Currently, the commune lacks a centralized clean water treatment plant, while the demand for safe and hygienic water is increasing. In response to this, the commune's People's Committee has proactively surveyed approximately 8 hectares of land for the construction of a clean water plant and has secured a commitment from a business partner. If the project is successfully implemented, it will be a significant breakthrough, not only addressing the needs of the people but also helping the locality fulfill a difficult criterion in the new rural development program.
Quynh Anh commune is one of the localities that has registered to strive to achieve the modern new rural standard in 2026. Mr. Ho Nghia Duong – Chairman of the People's Committee of the commune – said that the locality has many advantages as the communes have previously achieved the model new rural standard and the advanced new rural standard, creating a solid foundation to continue improving the quality of the criteria. Although the province has not yet issued the set of criteria for the modern new rural standard for the new phase, the locality has determined that this is a higher level of development than the model new rural standard.
Therefore, the immediate focus of the commune is on reviewing and improving essential criteria such as: school systems, healthcare facilities, environmental protection, and transportation infrastructure. At the same time, it will promote economic development, increase income and improve the quality of life for its people, gradually moving towards the goal of building a modern new rural area.
Following the administrative unit merger, each locality has its own advantages and disadvantages, but all aim towards the goal of building communes that meet the standards of new rural areas and modern new rural areas. However, at this point, the number of localities registered to achieve the goal is still low compared to the target set by the Provincial People's Council, requiring solutions to overcome obstacles and accelerate progress in the coming time.
On December 29, 2025, Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha signed Decision No. 51/2025/QD-TTg promulgating the National Criteria Set for New Rural Areas for the period 2026-2030. According to the decision, the National Criteria Set for New Rural Communes for the period 2026-2030 includes 10 criteria and 47 indicators (the 10 criteria include: Planning; Socio-economic infrastructure; Rural economic development; Rural human resource training; Culture, education, and health; Poverty reduction and social security; Science, technology, and digital transformation; Rural environment and landscape; Building a political and public administration system; Access to law and security, national defense). A modern new rural commune is one with a synchronous and smart socio-economic infrastructure; an economy developed based on digital transformation; a safe living environment, and rich traditional cultural identity. The material and spiritual lives of the people are constantly improving.
Thus, during this period, localities implemented the new rural development program at two levels: new rural communes and modern new rural communes, without advanced new rural communes or model new rural communes as in the previous period.
The number of communes that registered is still low.
According to Mr. Nguyen Van Hang, Deputy Head of the Department of Cooperative Economics and Rural Development (Department of Agriculture and Environment), the Provincial People's Council resolution assigned the task of having 14 communes in the province achieve the new rural and modern new rural standards by 2026. However, to date, only 6 communes have registered to achieve the new rural standard and 2 communes have registered to achieve the modern new rural standard.
The communes registered to achieve new rural standards include: Dong Hieu, Quynh Anh, Hop Minh, Phuc Loc, Kim Lien, Nghi Loc, Quan Thanh, and Dong Loc; among them, Quynh Anh and Dong Loc registered to achieve modern new rural status.
This figure reveals a significant discrepancy between the assigned targets and the readiness of the localities. Notably, while relevant agencies have actively encouraged communes to register for additional targets, no locality has yet registered for new targets.
The main reason why communes are still hesitant to register for the new rural development program by 2026 stems from legal gaps and implementation guidelines. Currently, Nghe An province has not yet issued a new set of criteria for new rural development applicable to communes after mergers. In addition, central ministries and agencies have not yet provided complete and detailed guidance documents for each criterion. In reality, after the administrative unit reorganization and the implementation of the new two-tier local government model, many localities are still in the process of stabilizing their organizational structure. The expanded administrative boundaries and increased population have created greater pressure than before.
Based on practical implementation in localities, to ensure the achievement of the 2026 target, Nghe An needs to promptly issue a set of provincial-level criteria for building new rural areas, along with detailed, flexible guidelines suitable to the conditions of communes after mergers. In addition, providing resource support and resolving obstacles related to investment mechanisms, land, and social mobilization are also key factors to encourage localities to confidently register and strive to achieve the goal.
Amidst numerous intertwined challenges, proactive efforts from the grassroots level, coupled with timely mechanisms from higher levels, will determine the success of Nghe An's new rural development program in the coming period.
