Build a separate Development Project for 27 border communes of Nghe An

(Baonghean.vn) – Clearly identifying specific investment resources for new rural construction in 27 extremely disadvantaged communes and border areas of the province is an important direction of the Provincial People's Committee in developing the Project to implement the National Target Program on new rural construction in 27 extremely disadvantaged communes and border areas of Nghe An province for the period 2017-2020 with a view to 2025.

On the morning of September 1, under the chairmanship of Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Dinh Viet Hong, the Provincial People's Committee held a meeting to listen to and give opinions on the Project to implement the National Target Program on New Rural Construction in 27 extremely disadvantaged communes and border areas of Nghe An province for the period 2017-2020 with a view to 2025.

27 communes in the Project area belong to 6 districts with borders adjacent to 3 provinces of Hua Phan, Xieng Khouang, Bo Ly Kham Xay of Lao PDR, namely Ky Son, Tuong Duong, Con Cuong, Que Phong, Anh Son and Thanh Chuong; including 6 ethnic groups living together: Kinh, Mong, Thai, Kho Mu, Dan Lai, Tay Poong; there is one Nam Can international border gate, one main Thanh Thuy border gate and 3 secondary border gates.

Comrade Dinh Viet Hong, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee chaired the meeting this morning. Photo: Phu Huong

Here, as of June 30, 2017, no border commune has met the NTM standards. The commune with the highest criteria is 15 criteria and the lowest is 5 criteria.

Mr. Hoang Nghia Hieu, Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, explained some issues in the Project according to comments from relevant departments and localities. Photo: Phu Huong

Up to now, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, the unit in charge of developing the Project, has received 13 documents with comments on the project from departments, branches and district People's Committees. Notably, comments on the legal basis of the project; addition of some issues such as difficulties and challenges, appendix of priority investment projects; further assessment of rural infrastructure; addition or removal of tasks of some departments, branches, and commune-level People's Committees; addition of content on the area of ​​27 border communes located in the Western Nghe An Biosphere Reserve recognized by UNESCO; further determination of the percentage of road surface structure that must be achieved for each type of commune road, village road, alley, etc.

Representatives of the provincial Border Guard proposed consulting on investment in upgrading border gate pairs to facilitate trade between the two sides. Photo: Phu Huong

At the meeting, representatives of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development presented the additions and amendments to the Project according to the comments of relevant departments and localities. Delegates also gave further comments on a number of issues such as: reviewing the achieved targets to ensure the logic between the achieved targets and the targets to strive for; adding content to promote the twinning program between border residential areas, advising on upgrading border gate pairs to facilitate people's trade, etc.

Concluding the meeting, the Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee stated: The 27 communes in the Project are strategic areas of special importance in terms of socio-economics, national defense and security, and foreign affairs of Nghe An province and the North Central region, playing an important role in the province's ecological environment. The investment and implementation of the Project will contribute to narrowing the gap in socio-economic development between the border communes and other communes in the province and the whole country; creating motivation to help ethnic minorities in the border areas gradually rise out of poverty and improve their lives, thereby strengthening the trust of the people of all ethnic groups in the leadership of the Party and the State.

The project development will also address the issue of inequality in policy benefits, create a legal framework for attracting investment and integrating investment resources.

Militia and self-defense forces of Huu Lap commune (Ky Son) help people build concrete roads to build new rural areas. Photo: Document

Comrade Dinh Viet Hong also requested the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development to absorb and select comments from relevant units and localities to build a group of criteria and appropriate solutions. Coordinate with the Department of Finance to unify financial data. In particular, clearly advise to determine specific resources because this is a particularly difficult area, mobilizing economic resources from the people is very difficult. Based on the reference structure of the Project of some provinces, amend to suit the actual conditions of Nghe An.

Phu Huong