Strengthening decentralization and improving the effectiveness of implementing the National Target Program in ethnic minority and mountainous areas

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh speaks at the Conference. (Photo: TRAN HAI)

Co-chairing the Conference were Politburo members: Do Van Chien, Secretary of the Party Central Committee, Chairman of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front; Nguyen Hoa Binh , Permanent Deputy Prime Minister of the Government - Head of the Central Steering Committee for National Target Programs; Party Central Committee members: Mai Van Chinh, Deputy Prime Minister of the Government, Deputy Head of the Central Steering Committee for National Target Programs; Vu Hong Thanh, Vice Chairman of the National Assembly.

Also attending were leaders of departments, ministries, branches, central agencies; diplomatic agencies, international organizations in Vietnam.

The conference was broadcast live to 34 provinces and centrally-run cities.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and leaders visit booths displaying OCOP products of ethnic minorities. (Photo: TRAN HAI)

Speaking at the opening of the Conference, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh welcomed and highly appreciated the Steering Committee for holding the summary conference nearly half a year earlier than planned; looking back and evaluating what has been done well, we will continue to promote it better, and what has not been done must analyze the causes, evaluate to propose tasks, solutions to overcome, and draw lessons to better implement the National Target Program in the coming time.

The Prime Minister stated that implementing the Program is not only a responsibility and obligation, but also a deep sentiment, a command of the heart, with a noble humanity towards ethnic minority areas , mountainous areas, remote areas, border areas, and islands - areas identified as having many difficulties. Therefore, there must be a comprehensive, all-people approach, and the entire political system must be responsible.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh attends the National Conference to review the National Target Program on Socio-Economic Development in Ethnic Minority and Mountainous Areas. (Photo: TRAN HAI)

According to the Prime Minister, in these areas, transportation, travel, health care, education, clean water, and environmental sanitation are still difficult; there are also issues related to bad customs and people's livelihoods... Therefore, we must seriously, frankly, and decisively overcome what has not been done to do better; analyze good models and good practices that bring benefits to the community to gain experience in leadership and direction in the coming period.

The problem is how to do it? Because according to the Prime Minister, up to now, the way of doing things is still fragmented, divided, lacking focus, key points, and highlights. How to organize, how to decentralize? Accordingly, what must the central level do, what must the provincial level do, what must the grassroots level do? That requires strengthening decentralization. Regarding the allocation of resources, capital must be allocated to the provincial level from the beginning, what goals must be set, for how long, and what must be brought to the people? The allocation of capital to projects and programs is done by the provincial level, the implementation is done by the grassroots level. Therefore, it is necessary to strengthen decentralization, decentralization, go hand in hand with resource allocation, strengthen capacity, responsibility for implementation, and strengthen inspection and supervision.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh chairs the National Conference to review the National Target Program on Socio-Economic Development in Ethnic Minority and Mountainous Areas. (Photo: TRAN HAI)

We must base our resources on the objectives, but the spirit of decentralization must be maintained. The central government must do the macro work, the provincial level must continue to be the management level, and the grassroots level must be delegated. We must innovate our thinking and ways of doing things to create efficiency. We must perfect the institutions for ethnic minorities and mountainous areas; prioritize resources but must have a focus, key points, specific programs and projects; we must arrange capital, train human resources; transfer technology to develop the economy.

The Prime Minister said that for provinces with typical OCOP products, it is necessary to build branded products, followed by a systematic planning of raw material growing areas; application of science and technology, innovation, digital transformation; linking with businesses to supply goods and materials for production and product consumption; having banks to support capital; linking between households and cooperatives, so that cooperatives develop into small enterprises, small enterprises into large enterprises, large enterprises into multinational enterprises, participating in the global value chain.

Conference scene. (Photo: TRAN HAI)

The Prime Minister hopes that in the next term, the implementation of the National Target Program for Ethnic Minorities and Mountainous Areas will be better, with more concentrated resources, more professional and effective methods of work, innovative organization, focus, and completion of each task.

* The Central Steering Committee for National Target Programs for the period 2021-2025 said: Regarding population and ethnicity: our country has 53 ethnic minorities with a population of over 14.4 million people, accounting for about 14.6% of the country's population; there are 6 ethnic groups with a population of over 1 million people (Tay, Thai, Muong, Mong, Nung, Khmer), 15 ethnic groups with a population of less than 10,000 people, of which there are 5 ethnic groups with a population of less than 1,000 people: O Du, Brau, Ro Mam, Pu Peo and Si La.

Leaders and delegates attending the Conference. (Photo: TRAN HAI)

Regarding population distribution: The residential areas of ethnic minorities account for about 3/4 of the country's natural area, mainly in the Northwest, Central Highlands, Southwest, and West Central Coast regions. The majority of ethnic minorities live in communities in mountainous, border, and particularly difficult areas with fragmented terrain and difficult transportation.

At the time of the merger of localities, according to Decision No. 861/QD-TTg dated June 4, 2021 of the Prime Minister, the whole country had 3,434 communes in ethnic minority and mountainous areas in 51 provinces and centrally run cities. From July 1, 2025, after completing the arrangement of the 2-level local government apparatus, the whole country had 34 provincial-level administrative units; 3,321 commune-level administrative units. Through the initial review results, the whole country is expected to have about 1,516 communes in ethnic minority and mountainous areas in 32 provinces and centrally run cities.

Comrade Do Van Chien, Politburo member, Secretary of the Party Central Committee, Chairman of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front, spoke at the Conference. (Photo: TRAN HAI)

Regarding the allocation and assignment of the central budget capital plan to implement the annual and medium-term 5-year Program for the period 2021-2025: According to the Resolutions of the National Assembly Standing Committee and the National Assembly, the allocated central budget development investment capital for the period 2021-2025 is VND 50,000 billion. The Prime Minister has assigned VND 50,000 billion of the central budget development investment capital plan for the period 2021-2025 to localities to implement the Program. The allocation and assignment of the State budget estimates for the central budget to implement the annual Program to ministries, branches and localities are implemented in accordance with current regulations and guidelines.

Minister of Ethnic Minorities and Religions Dao Ngoc Dung reports at the Conference. (Photo: TRAN HAI)

In the period of 2022-2025, the total central budget capital assigned to implement the Program up to the reporting time is: VND 89,728,430 billion, reaching 85.5%, including: development investment capital: VND 49,163,505 billion (reaching 98.3% of the approved capital plan); career capital: VND 40,564,925 billion (reaching 75% of the approved capital plan).

Delegates attending the Conference. (Photo: TRAN HAI)

Results of disbursement of capital to implement the Program: Regarding the results of disbursement of central budget capital: Period 2022-2024 up to January 30, 2025: According to data from the Ministry of Finance, the results of disbursement of central budget capital allocated to implement the National Target Program for Ethnic Minorities and Mountainous Areas in the period 2022-2024 are 48,081,298 billion VND, reaching 72.6%, of which: disbursement of investment capital is 29,977,455 billion VND, reaching 85.6%; disbursement of career capital is 18,103,843 billion VND, reaching 58%.

The conference was broadcast live to provinces and cities across the country. (Photo: TRAN HAI)

In 2025: the disbursement situation of central budget capital is as follows: Regarding the disbursement of public investment capital as of June 30, 2025, according to the report of the Ministry of Finance, the estimated disbursement of public investment capital (including capital extended from previous years transferred to 2025) of the Program reached about 5,331,803 billion VND, equal to 36% of the plan, of which: capital extended from previous years transferred to 2025 disbursed 940,201 billion VND, equal to 33% of the plan; capital for 2025 reached 4,391,602 billion VND, equal to 37% of the plan.

Disbursement of career capital as of June 30, 2025: The result of disbursement of career capital (including funds from previous years transferred to 2025) is 3,467,555 billion VND, reaching 22.2% of the plan.

Local budget disbursement results: According to the summary reports of localities, by the end of 2024, the local budget had disbursed VND 9,068,542 billion (reaching 79.2%), of which: investment capital disbursement was VND 7,629,291 billion, reaching 81.8%; career capital disbursement was VND 1,439,251 billion, reaching 67.8%.

The work of allocating and assigning the development investment capital plan for the period 2021-2025 and the annual State budget estimate from the Central budget to ministries, branches and localities for implementation in accordance with current regulations and guidelines. The allocation ensures priority for resources to focus on investment to support more difficult areas in order to create a clear change in the implementation of policies to support synchronous socio-economic infrastructure at the commune and village levels in ethnic minority and mountainous areas.

In recent times, the National Assembly, the Government, the Prime Minister, and the Central Steering Committee have paid great attention and determinedly directed ministries and branches to handle and remove difficulties and obstacles, and speed up the disbursement of public investment capital to implement national target programs.

Therefore, the results of disbursement of public investment capital to implement the National Target Program for Ethnic Minorities and Mountainous Areas have clearly improved: If in 2022, the results of disbursement of public investment capital from the central budget to implement the Program reached about 25.6% of the plan, then in 2023 and 2024, it reached 82% and 85% of the plan, respectively. Calculated by the absolute capital ratio in the 3 National Target Programs, the results of disbursement of public investment capital to implement the National Target Program for Ethnic Minorities and Mountainous Areas are nearly 1.03 times higher than the total capital of both National Target Programs in the same period...

HA THANH GIANG

Nhandan.vn

Source: https://nhandan.vn/tang-cuong-phan-cap-nang-cao-hieu-qua-thuc-hien-chuong-trinh-muc-tieu-quoc-gia-vung-dong-bao-dan-toc-thieu-so-va-mien-nui-post900420.html