Striving for the 'dual goal' of building new rural areas associated with sustainable poverty reduction

In the 2021-2025 period, Lao Cai province has issued many synchronous documents, perfected the provincial and commune-level steering apparatus, promoted the allocation of resources in a public and transparent manner, focusing on disadvantaged areas, ethnic minority areas, and extremely disadvantaged areas, with the goal of building new rural areas effectively and successfully.

Thanks to that, in recent years, Lao Cai province has achieved very positive results: More than 40% of communes in the province have met the New Rural standards, many of which continue to strive to meet advanced and model standards; The poverty rate has decreased to about 12.5% by the end of 2024, an average decrease of about 4% per year - one of the fastest poverty reduction localities in the Northern midland and mountainous region; Over 400 livelihood models have been implemented synchronously, helping thousands of households gradually escape poverty sustainably, associated with the development of agricultural production , medicinal herbs, indigenous plants, livestock and handicrafts.

In addition, indicators on education, health, environment and culture have all made steady progress. The rate of rural people using clean water is over 65%; more than 70% of household waste is collected and treated; about 85% of communes meet environmental and food safety criteria. Many villages have built "green - clean - beautiful" landscapes, forming new civilized and cohesive living spaces.

The above achievements are due to the efforts of local authorities at all levels across the province. With the consistent viewpoint that “people are the center and the subject of development”, Lao Cai province has determined that building new rural areas and reducing poverty are not two separate tasks, but an integrated and mutually supportive process. Production development models are linked to vocational training, digital transformation, cooperative building and product consumption through the OCOP program.

With the new administrative system remaining at the provincial and communal levels, Lao Cai promotes decentralization to the communal level, creating conditions for the grassroots to proactively organize implementation in accordance with the conditions of each region. The province plays a role in issuing framework mechanisms, determining criteria, and allocating resources according to outputs, while people, businesses, and the community play a central role in implementation and supervision.

Lao Cai province has determined that the program of building new rural areas and sustainable poverty reduction in the coming period is not only aimed at achieving statistical figures, but is a journey to create a desirable living space in the countryside: modern in infrastructure, rich in livelihoods, rich in cultural identity and environmentally sustainable.

Accordingly, the target by 2030: Average income per capita in rural areas increases at least 2.5 times compared to 2020; Multidimensional poverty rate reduces to below 4%; 100% of communes meet New Rural standards, of which more and more communes meet advanced and model standards.

In particular, Lao Cai province aims to form rural communities that are cohesive - civilized - humane - happy , where people can truly feel the change in quality of life, development opportunities, and faith in the future.

In the journey of building new rural areas and reducing poverty, Lao Cai not only pursues quantitative goals, but also affirms a qualitative direction: Harmonious development of people - nature - economy - culture. With a proactive, creative, determined and humane spirit, Lao Cai is contributing to the whole country to continue writing the story of new rural areas: not only "enough to eat, enough to wear" but also prosperity, civilization and happiness.

Source: https://baolaocai.vn/phan-dau-muc-tieu-kep-xay-dung-nong-thon-moi-gan-voi-giam-ngheo-ben-vung-post879103.html