A road in Thới Lai District’s Định Môn Commune, Cần Thơ City. Định Môn has been recognised as an exemplary new-style rural commune. — VNA/VNS Photo Thu Hiền

CẦN THƠ — The Mekong Delta City of Cần Thơ wants all of its communes to be recognised as advanced new-style rural communes by the end of next year, a year ahead of the original target.

Under the country’s programme for building new-style rural areas, all of the city’s 36 communes were recognised as new-style rural commune areas by 2020.

The difference between the two is that a new-style rural commune must meet the programme’s 19 criteria related to planning, infrastructure, transport, irrigation, power supply, environment, income, education, healthcare, social security, culture, and others, while advanced status requires higher standards across all of them.

And then there is “exemplary.”

The Cửu Long (Mekong) Delta city has already had 25 advanced and two exemplary new-style rural communes.

Vĩnh Thạnh District’s Thạnh Lợi is one of the latter.

It used to be poor, but after the implementation of the programme for the past 12 years it has developed significantly.

Its per capita income last year was VNĐ70.9 million (US$3,000).

Bùi Quang Nam, its chairman, said to achieve the results the commune promoted solidarity and creativity in implementing the criteria.

It focused on advocacy to mobilise resources, especially from the public, for it, he said.

This year the city will continue to enhance the quality of advanced and exemplary new-style rural communes, according to its People’s Committee.

Nguyễn Ngọc Hè, its deputy chairman, said districts should review the advanced and exemplary criteria, and focus on improving in terms of the parameters that have been reached.

Relevant departments and localities should advocate for the programme, focus on investment in rural infrastructure and mobilise resources to develop production and improve rural incomes, he said.

The city raised more than VNĐ1.55 trillion ($66 million) for the programme last year, according to its People’s Committee.

The per capita income of the city’s advanced new-style rural communes is VNĐ64 million ($2,700).

Hè said rural infrastructure has been adequately invested in and the city’s poverty rate has been reduced significantly.

The city got 51 products recognised under the country’s One Commune-One Product programme last year, 33 rated four-star and 18 rated three-star. It now has 58 four-star products and 34 three-star products.

The development of OCOP products has helped to improve the incomes of rural people as they enable higher value and sales than normal products, according to local authorities.

They include foods, souvenirs, herbal medicinal products, furniture, agricultural products, and rural tourism.

Hè said localities should instruct OCOP producers to regularly improve design and quality to increase the number of stars they get. — VNS