Deputies discuss poverty reduction in ethnic, mountainous regions

                                                                    Illustrative image

Deputies offered opinions on national target programmes on new-style rural development and sustainable poverty reduction as well as incentives for ethnic minority and mountainous residents, during the ongoing 10th session of the 14th National Assembly (NA) in Hanoi on November 4.


Deputy Ma Thi Thuy from northern Tuyen Quang province lauded the outstanding results of the national target programme on the new-style rural development for the 2015-2020 period and called for more support to disadvantaged provinces and regions from State budget allocations for the 2021-2025 period.

Sharing the view, Deputy Tran Van Mao from north-central Nghe An province suggested issuing specific policies on vocational training for rural workers as well as guidelines on agricultural production encouragement policies to improve people’s incomes.

In his opinion, it is necessary to prioritise agricultural restructuring in combination with economic restructuring, while investment resources should be allocated in an open and transparent manner.

The nationwide poverty rate fell from 9.88 percent in late 2015 to 3.75 percent in late 2019. In poor districts, the figure dropped 5.65 percent each year during the period.

However, a Government report and one from the NA Finance-Budget Committee show that poverty reduction efforts in several areas remain unsustainable and uneven, with several districts posting rates of over 50 percent.

In addition to preferential loans, Deputy Thuy called on the legislature and the Government to offer education and healthcare support.

Minister and Chairman of the Committee for Ethnic Affairs Do Van Chien said a national steering committee for the national target programme on new-style rural development has been set up and led by Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh.

The committee also completed the building of criteria for ethnic minority and mountainous regions according to their development levels.

In the near future, it will work closely with the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) and the Ministry of Finance (MoF) to submit budget projections for the 2021-2025 period to the legislature.

In cooperation with MPI and MoF, he pledged to offer consultation to the Government and the Prime Minister on capital rebalancing for socio-economic development in ethnic minority and mountainous regions in 2021-2030, with priority given to flood-hit localities in the central region./.