COVID-19 has severely affected the country’s socio-economic situation and people’s living conditions, including those from mountainous and ethnic minority groups. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI —  Politburo member and Permanent Vice Chairman of the National Assembly (NA) Trần Thanh Mẫn has asked the NA Council for Ethnic Affairs to evaluate the impacts of COVID-19 on ethnic minority communities and report to the NA.

The report is to help develop solutions to control the pandemic, promote socio-economic development and effectively implement ethnic policies at the same time. 

At a working session with the council on December 23, Mẫn noted that as COVID-19 has severely affected the country’s socio-economic situation and people’s living conditions, including those from mountainous and ethnic minority groups, the NA has issued many policies to help people overcome difficulties. 

He lauded the Council for Committee for Ethnic Affairs for reporting opinions and aspirations of ethnic minority communities to the NA in a timely manner, helping the NA draft accurate and effective policies. 

He urged the council to continue focusing on implementing the master plan on boosting socio-economic development in ethnic minority-inhabited areas in the 2021-2025 period. 

Particularly, the council should work closely with relevant agencies and localities to ensure a warm and safe Lunar New Year for ethnic minority communities, he asked. 

Mẫn also requested the council to continue to supervise the implementation of the national target programme on boosting socio-economic development in mountainous and ethnic minority-inhabited areas in the 2021-2030 period as well as programmes on sustainable poverty reduction and new-style rural area building in the areas. He reminded the council to detect difficulties in the work and make proposals on solutions. 

The Permanent NA Vice Chairman required the council to organise more conferences and seminars to gather ideas from experts, scientists, management officials, prestigious people from ethnic minority villages and localities on ways to better implement plans and projects related to ethnic minority people. — VNS