Many positive results
On the morning of June 20, in Hanoi, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment held a press conference to introduce the implementation results of the two National Target Programs (NTPs) for new rural construction and the NTP for sustainable poverty reduction for the period 2021 - 2025.
After 5 years of implementation, the two National Target Programs on New Rural Development and Sustainable Poverty Reduction for the period 2021 - 2025 have achieved many positive and comprehensive results.
For the National Target Program on Sustainable Poverty Reduction, for the period 2021 - 2025, the total central budget allocated is 44,607.6 billion VND and the local budget is nearly 2,883 billion VND.
Speaking at the press conference, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment - Vo Van Hung said that after nearly 5 years of implementation, it is expected that by the end of 2025, the number of poor and near-poor households will be reduced to 1,256,000 households, reaching 52.49%, exceeding 2.49% of the target of reducing half of poor and near-poor households assigned by the National Assembly and the Government.
Similarly, the National Target Program on New Rural Development has also achieved many remarkable results. By the end of May 2025, the total resources mobilized to build new rural areas nationwide in the period of 2021 - 2025 will reach about 3.7 million billion VND.
To date, the whole country has had 6,055/7,669 communes meeting new rural standards, accounting for nearly 80%; 326 district-level units of 60 provinces and cities meeting standards/completing the task of building new rural areas; 23 provinces have 100% of communes meeting standards, and 10 provinces have been recognized for completing the task of building new rural areas. Regarding the OCOP program, by June 2025, the whole country will have 16,543 products with 3 stars or more, an increase of more than 12,000 products compared to 2020 - contributing to promoting the rural economy associated with the characteristics and advantages of each locality.
According to Mr. Hung, the above results are not only impressive numbers but also proof of the spirit of "Leaving no one behind" - a consistent and humane message that the Party and Government are always determined to pursue. Every house, every infrastructure project, every livelihood model is formed as an additional opportunity for people in disadvantaged areas to access a better life.
"However, we also need to look directly at reality, there are still many localities with a poverty rate of over 50%, even exceeding 70%, if the new poverty standard is applied. Challenges such as urban poverty, shortage of basic social services, low-income informal labor, the impact of climate change, population aging, ethnic conflicts and natural disasters are setting new requirements for the next stage of development," Deputy Minister Vo Van Hung emphasized.
Proposal to merge two programs
The Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment added that in the period of 2026 - 2035, it will propose to merge the two National Target Programs on New Rural Development and Sustainable Poverty Reduction into a single program.
The merger is not only a strategic step to improve public investment efficiency and streamline the apparatus, but also clearly demonstrates the development viewpoint: Taking people as the center, the community as the foundation, towards a prosperous, inclusive, democratic and happy Vietnam.
Responding to the press about the merger of the two programs, Deputy Minister Vo Van Hung affirmed that the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment will submit to the Government and the National Assembly for consideration of merging the program, in order to use resources most reasonably, taking the poor and farmers as the subject. The goal is to have interaction and integration between many resources, not just resources from the Central Government.
On June 22, the Conference to summarize the two National Target Programs on New Rural Development and Sustainable Poverty Reduction will be held at the Government Headquarters.
