Comprehensive development, narrowing the gap
On October 14, 2021, the Prime Minister issued Decision No. 1719/QD-TTg approving the National Target Program for Socio-Economic Development in Ethnic Minority and Mountainous Areas for the period 2021 - 2030, period I from 2021 to 2025. This is a large-scale, wide-reaching national target program, directly affecting millions of people in remote, isolated and extremely disadvantaged areas across the country.
The program is built to exploit the potential and advantages of localities in ethnic minority and mountainous areas, promote innovation, economic development associated with ensuring social security. The focus is on rapid and sustainable poverty reduction, gradually narrowing the gap in living standards and income compared to the national average.
Along with that, the Program aims to gradually reduce the number of communes and villages in particular difficulty; arrange and stabilize the population; invest in building a synchronous and inter-regional economic - social infrastructure system, connecting with developing areas. The fields of education, training, health care, and culture continue to be prioritized, in order to significantly improve the material and spiritual life of the people.
Another important goal is to improve the quantity and quality of the team of cadres, civil servants and public employees who are ethnic minorities; preserve and promote the fine traditional cultural identity of ethnic groups, while eliminating outdated customs and practices. The program is also associated with the implementation of gender equality, solving urgent problems for women and children, strengthening the grassroots political system, maintaining political security, social order and safety and national border security.
Specific targets until 2025
According to the set target, by 2025, the average income of ethnic minorities will strive to increase by more than 2 times compared to 2020; the poverty rate among ethnic minorities will decrease by more than 3% each year. About 50% of communes and villages will leave extremely difficult areas.
Regarding infrastructure, 100% of communes have paved or concreted car roads to the center; 70% of villages have hardened car roads. All schools and health stations are solidly built; 99% of households use national grid electricity or appropriate power sources; 90% of ethnic minorities use hygienic domestic water; 100% watch TV and listen to radio.
The program also aims to basically complete the work of stabilizing and settling; stabilize 90% of illegal households; relocate and arrange about 60% of households living in areas at high risk of natural disasters. The indicators of education, health care, and vocational training are specifically set, in which over 50% of workers of suitable age are trained in vocational skills; 98% of ethnic minorities participate in health insurance.
In phase I, the Program focuses on investing thousands of kilometers of rural roads, hundreds of centralized domestic water projects; supporting residential land, housing, production land, and livelihoods for hundreds of thousands of ethnic minority households. The system of ethnic boarding and semi-boarding schools continues to have increased facilities and teaching equipment.
In addition, the Program focuses on preserving and promoting traditional cultural values, investing in cultural and sports institutions in villages and hamlets; supporting the development of community tourism, cultural tourism in ethnic minority and mountainous areas.
Nghe An has an area of nearly 16,500 km2), has the longest land border with Laos (about 419.000 km). In border communes, mainly ethnic minorities live. Of which, the area of ethnic minority and mountainous areas of the province is up to 13,745 km2, accounting for 83% of the province's natural area. The population of ethnic minority and mountainous areas is 1,197,628 people (accounting for 36% of the province's population), of which ethnic minorities are 491,267 people, accounting for 14.76% of the province's population, accounting for 36% of the population in mountainous areas. Currently, Nghe An has 5 ethnic minorities, including the Thai ethnic group with 338,559 people, the Tho ethnic group with 71,420 people, the Kho Mu ethnic group with 43,139 people, the Mong ethnic group with 33,597 people, and the O Du ethnic group with 411 people. The average density of ethnic minority and mountainous areas is about 40 people/km2.
With a synchronous scale, goals and solutions, the National Target Program for Socio-Economic Development of Ethnic Minority and Mountainous Areas is expected to create a solid foundation for sustainable development, improve the lives of Nghe An people, and strengthen the trust of ethnic minorities in the Party and the State.
