Poverty reduction is the central and continuous task of developing Western Nghe An.

(Baonghean)Editor's note: During his working trip to Nghe An on December 2, Comrade Nguyen Xuan Phuc - Politburo member, Deputy Prime Minister had a private discussion with Nghe An Newspaper reporters about strategic orientations and macro-level policies for the development of Western Nghe An.

Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc (right) talks with provincial leaders and businesses. Photo: SM

PV: As Head of the Government's Northwest Steering Committee, could you please assess the development potential of Western Nghe An?

Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc:Western Nghe An has a total natural area of ​​13,748.07 km2, accounting for 83.36% of the province's total area; a population of 1,067,000 people, accounting for 36.5% of the province's total population; of which, ethnic minorities have 410,000 people, accounting for 38.4% of the population of the Western region. With 27 border communes with 419.5 km of border adjacent to the Lao People's Democratic Republic, Western Nghe An is a particularly important strategic area in terms of socio-economics, national defense, security and foreign affairs of Nghe An province and the North Central region; plays a decisive role in the ecological environment of Nghe An province. Western Nghe An has great potential in terms of land fund, forest resources, and minerals to develop and expand agricultural and forestry production, exploit minerals associated with large-scale processing industry. Ethnic minorities in mountainous areas have a tradition of solidarity, patriotism, and trust in the leadership of the Party and authorities at all levels.

In recent times, the Politburo, the Government, the Central ministries, departments, branches and the Provincial Party Committee and the People's Committee of Nghe An province have had many policies to pay attention to the development of Western Nghe An. Thanks to that, Western Nghe An has developed quite comprehensively, the potentials and advantages have been gradually exploited, people's lives have been improved, the face of mountainous rural areas has changed a lot, most of the socio-economic indicators have reached and exceeded the set plan. The poverty rate has decreased rapidly, an average of 3-4%/year. In addition to ensuring food security, Western Nghe An has formed and developed concentrated, large-scale raw material growing areas associated with the processing industry, creating many export goods such as the Tale&Lyle Sugarcane Project, the Dairy Cow Farming Project... Some backward customs and practices have been gradually pushed back. National defense has been consolidated and maintained, political security is stable, and social order and safety are ensured. The above results have contributed significantly to the socio-economic development of the locality.

However, Western Nghe An has not yet exploited its potential and advantages. Accounting for 83% of Nghe An province's area, including many communes in remote, isolated and border areas, there are still many difficulties and shortcomings, such as a high rate of poor households. Although the economic restructuring is in the right direction, it is still slow, uneven and unstable; socio-economic infrastructure has not met requirements; the efficiency of resource use, especially investment capital, land and mineral resources is not high; the quality of human resources has not met requirements; social evils, some backward customs and practices have not been completely eliminated. The quality of education and training is still limited, the number of students dropping out of school is still high. Taking advantage of the long border, crime, especially drug crimes, is still complicated, many illegal proselytizing activities, illegal migration across the border is still complicated; illegal exploitation of forest products and minerals is still common.

PV: In the coming time, what direction will the Party, State and Government pay attention to for Nghe An regarding the task of developing the Western region, Deputy Prime Minister?

Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc:Determining that the Western Nghe An region has an important strategic position, in the coming time, the Party, the State and the Government together with Nghe An province will focus on directing, leading and managing the Western region more effectively with higher priority. Continue to better and more synchronously implement the programs and projects being implemented. Do better in developing infrastructure, developing agriculture and forestry associated with hunger eradication and poverty reduction, considering hunger eradication and poverty reduction as a key and continuous task and this work must be paid more attention by the Central and the Government with specific policies. Accelerate the reduction of the poverty rate, in which the target is to reduce at least 4% of poor households each year, contributing to the province's reduction of the overall poverty rate in the country. It is necessary to focus on raising awareness of sectors and levels about poverty reduction. Be more active in creating stable jobs for workers, assigning specific responsibilities to each level of Party committees, authorities and mass organizations in poverty reduction work.

Promote socio-economic development associated with political stability, ensuring security and defense. Along with that, the grassroots political system continues to be built, consolidated and strengthened. The staff, especially grassroots staff, are interested in training and fostering to improve their qualifications, quality of activities, and work efficiency, gradually improving their grasp of mass work. Focus on training human resources for the district and commune levels of the Western region, meeting the requirements of the tasks, in which special priority is given to training on-site staff and staff who are ethnic minorities.

PV: Western Nghe An has a large population of ethnic minorities, so according to the Deputy Prime Minister, how should we orient development in conjunction with preserving and promoting the cultural identity of ethnic groups?

Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc:Through increasing State investment, promoting social cultural activities, mobilizing all resources for preserving and developing the culture of ethnic minorities, building cultural life and cultural environment in ethnic minority areas, linking the task of economic development with cultural development. Honoring the good traditional cultural values ​​of ethnic minorities, at the same time encouraging the creation of new cultural values, contributing to gradually reducing the gap in living standards and cultural enjoyment between regions and ethnic groups.

The preservation and development of the culture of ethnic minorities in Western Nghe An is an urgent task of strategic significance that needs to be continued regularly and long-term; it is necessary to closely link activities to build cultural life with the task of socio-economic development suitable for each region, each area, each ethnic group and religion; Building cultural villages, in which the cultural identity of ethnic groups in particular needs to be preserved and promoted so that each village in the West is a safe, revolutionary area, a central area, developing both spiritually and materially.

Another task that Nghe An needs to pay close attention to is to strengthen relations with the friendly, peaceful, cooperative and mutually developing Laos. For a long time, Vietnam and Laos have always been close and friendly neighbors. The Vietnamese people and the Lao ethnic groups have always been friendly and supported each other in times of difficulty and adversity. Nghe An province shares a border with the Lao provinces of Bolikhamxay, Hua Phan and Xieng Khouang. In recent times, Nghe An and the Lao countries have had a close, friendly, traditional relationship, with many results and effective cooperation models. That relationship will continue to develop more strongly, contributing to bringing the Vietnam-Laos friendship to a new height for the common interests of both countries.

Western Nghe An is a strategic key area, so the Party, State and locality need to be more responsible and more concerned so that the people can have a more prosperous and better life. Promoting the tradition of the revolutionary homeland of Nghe An, the homeland of beloved President Ho Chi Minh, I believe that the ethnic people of Western Nghe An will unite to strive, overcome difficulties to have a new, stronger and more revolutionary development.

PV: Thank you, Deputy Prime Minister!

Thanh Le (Implementation)