CẦN THƠ – Fifty percent of all communes across the country are expected to be recognised as new-style rural areas in 2020, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) stated at a conference in the Mekong Delta city of Cần Thơ on December 8.

According to the ministry, so far, Việt Nam has 2,853 recognised new-style rural communes, accounting for 31.96 per cent of total communes. Of which, 295 communes fulfilled all criteria of the programme’s new standards for the 2016-20 period.

At the same time, 42 districts in 24 provinces and cities also earned the recognition, up 11 districts compared to the end of 2016.

After six years of implementation, one of the outstanding outcomes of the National Target Programme on new-style rural area building is the development of infrastructure system in rural areas. 

At the end of 2016, 99.4 per cent of communes were accessible by car, and all communes were connected to the national power grid. More than 99.5 per cent of communes had kindergartens, primary schools and health care stations.

MARD Deputy Minister Trần Thanh Nam held that in order to reach the target, all localities should focus on improving the living conditions of locals, protecting the rural environment, ensuring clean water access and maintaining social order and safety.

Nam added that in the coming time, the ministry will effectively implement pilot projects in new-style rural building, prioritising economic development with production chains, contributing to transforming rural economic structure and raising people’s income in a sustainable way.

Meanwhile, Deputy Minister of Public Security Lieut. Gen. Nguyễn Văn Son suggested that public security forces of cities and provinces nationwide should consider the programme as their major and regular task and work hard to ensure social security and order. — VNS