Deputy Prime Minister Trần Lưu Quang speaks at an online conference on implementing the three National Target Programmes to promote new rural construction, sustainable poverty reduction, and socio-economic development in ethnic minority and mountainous areas. — Photo VGP

HÀ NỘI  —  Deputy Prime Minister Trần Lưu Quang has called on northern midland and mountainous regions to avoid spreading investment too thinly, which wastes resources and affects settlement work.

On Monday, the Deputy PM chaired an online conference with provinces in the region on implementing the three National Target Programmes to promote new rural construction, sustainable poverty reduction, and socio-economic development in ethnic minority and mountainous areas.

Speaking at the conference, the Deputy Prime Minister praised localities' efforts while acknowledging the recommendations from ministries and sectors of the Government on areas to improve. 

He suggested localities strengthen inspection and supervision and combine the content of the National Target Programmes into each locality's own programmes. 

The northern midland and mountainous region is made of 14 provinces; Bắc Kạn, Cao Bằng, Lào Cai, Yên Bái, Thái Nguyên, Phú Thọ, Bắc Giang, Hòa Bình, Sơn La, Lai Châu, Điện Biên, Tuyên Quang, Lạng Sơn, and Hà Giang.

The areas, which account for nearly one-third of the country, are significant in terms of geopolitics, national defence and security, though these often remote areas still face many difficulties; the region's average poverty rate in 2022 is 17.4 per cent, higher than the national average of 5.2 per cent. 

Around 14.7 million people are living here, accounting for 15.2 per cent of the country's population, of which ethnic minorities account for nearly 50 per cent of the population.

The average rate of communes meeting new rural standards in the region in 2022 is about 43.6 per cent, much lower than the national average of about 72 per cent. Budget revenue is still limited, and these areas need a lot of support from the central budget.

In 2021-2025, the Central Government and 14 northern midland and mountainous provinces completed allocating a total development investment capital of VNĐ44 trillion, accounting for 44.18 per cent of the total development investment capital localities across the country.

In 2022, the central budget to support the implementation of the three National Target Programmes for the region was VNĐ15 trillion (including the capital in 2021, which will be transferred to 2022), accounting for 45.36 per cent of the total budget of the government's supporting fund.

Regarding local capital, 13 out of 14 provinces in the region (all except Hoà Bình) have allocated VNĐ2 trillion of local budget capital to implement the three programmes.

In 2023, the total capital allocated from the central budget to regional localities is VNĐ10 trillion. As of January 31, 13 of 14 provinces have completed the capital allocation, while Tuyên Quang urgently completes the procedures.

Regarding the disbursement results of the central budget, as of December 31, 2022, the provinces in the region disbursed over 40.54 per cent, higher than the national average (37.73 per cent). — VNS