Deputy Prime Minister Trần Lưu Quang chairs an online conference on reviewing the implementation of the National Target Programme in Tây Nguyên region. — Photo congluan.vn

GIA LAI — Deputy Prime Minister Trần Lưu Quang has emphasised the importance of implementing three National Target Programmes in the Tây Nguyên (Central Highlands) region.

The Deputy Prime Minister chaired an online conference with regional leaders to review the results of implementing these programmes which was held in Gia Lai Province on February 10.

The three National Target Programmes, aimed at promoting new rural construction, sustainable poverty reduction, and socio-economic development in ethnic minority and mountainous areas, have received significant attention from the Party, Government, National Assembly and people.

The Government, Prime Minister, and head of the Central Steering Committee for National Target Programmes have taken various measures to speed up the implementation, including issuing 11 resolutions, two directives, five dispatches, and four conclusions, and holding six online conferences with relevant parties.

Deputy Prime Minister Trần Lưu Quang directed the relevant parties to continue implementing solutions and tasks to overcome any difficulties in the implementation process.

The Central Highlands region, which accounts for about one-sixth of the country's total area and is crucial in national defence and security, has a population of only about 6.3 million people, with 36.5 per cent belonging to ethnic minorities.

Despite efforts, people in some remote areas still face numerous difficulties, with an average poverty rate of more than 8.6 per cent, compared to the national average of 5.2 per cent last year.

The average rate of communes meeting new rural standards in the region in 2022 reached about 52 per cent, lower than the national average rate of about 72 per cent, while the budget revenue was still limited and needed a lot of support from the central budget.

In the period of 2021-25, the central Government has allocated a total capital of over VNĐ11.7 trillion (US$450 million) as development investment to five provinces in the region, accounting for 11.73 per cent of the total investment capital for localities across the country.

Last year, the central budget provided the implementation of programmes in the Tây Nguyên region with funds worth nearly VNĐ3.9 billion ($165 million), with development investment capital accounting for VNĐ2.8 trillion and non-business capital accounting for VNĐ1.1 trillion.

However, the provinces still lacked about VNĐ600 billion ($25.4 million) of the total reciprocal capital of over VNĐ1.4 trillion ($61.7 million) for implementing the programmes. As of the end of last year, the provinces had disbursed more than VNĐ1.3 trillion ($57.2 million), reaching 34.77 per cent of the assigned plan, which was lower than the national average rate of 37.73 per cent.

The online conference in Gia Lai Province was the first of three such conferences to be chaired by the deputy PM with regions of the country to directly monitor the implementation of the national target programmes.

The Central Steering Committee for National Target Programme will have a meeting after these conferences to propose practical solutions to speed up the implementation.

In a recent document dated February 3, 2023, the deputy PM directed the relevant parties to remove any difficulties and obstacles in the programmes' implementation and asked for coordination among relevant parties to prepare reports for the Central Steering Committee's meetings.

The meetings will focus on setting specific tasks and deadlines to remove any difficulties in the implementation process.

Prior to the conference, Deputy Prime Minister Trần Lưu Quang made a survey trip to Đê Kjiêng Village in Ayun Commune of Mang Yang District and A Dơk Commune of Đắk Đoa District of Gia Lai Province. — VNS