Integrating New Rural Economic Development with Identity Conservation

Mr. Ngo Truong Son, Chief of the Central Coordination Office for New Rural Development

The National Target Program on New Rural Development for the period 2011-2020 has helped greatly improve the rural economy. What about the 2021-2025 period?

The goal of building new-style rural areas by 2025 is to strive for the whole country to have at least 80% of communes qualified for the standards of new-style rural areas, of which about 40% of the communes meet the standards of newly advanced rural areas; at least 10% of the communes meet the standards of new model rural areas, and there are no communes with less than 15 criteria; the average income of rural people will increase by at least 1.5 times as compared to 2020. The country will strive to have at least 50% of rural districts, towns and cities qualified for the standards of new-style rural areas, and completing the task of building new-style rural areas, of which at least 20% of districts will be recognized as newly-advanced rural areas, newly model rural areas. Each province and centrally-run city has at least two district-level units that meet new rural area standards. The country will have about 17-19 provinces and centrally-run cities recognized by the Prime Minister to complete the task of building new-style rural areas; 60% of villages and hamlets (hereinafter referred to as hamlets) belonging to communes with special difficulties in border areas, mountainous areas, coastal flatlands and islands are recognized as meeting new rural area standards according to the criteria set by People's Committees at the provincial level.

The national set of criteria for new-style rural areas for the 2021-2025 period basically retains the layout and content of the criteria set for the 2016-2020 period (including 19 criteria). However, the new point of the criteria set for the 2021-2025 period is that the number of targets increases by 8 compared to the previous period (including 57 targets).

Localities need to rely on unique regional strengths to make a difference and diversity in the construction of new-style rural areas. It is that difference that will improve the image of the localities, to make lifestyle in rural areas more attractive, so that each locality is not only proud of the achieved criteria but also preserves the unique cultural heritage and beauty.

What should be done to achieve the goal?

The main objective of the National Target Program on New Rural Development for the period 2021-2025 is to focus on improving living standards, first of all, the income of people in rural areas. To fulfill the criterion, it is necessary to strengthen vocational training and focus on agricultural and rural economic development. The “One Commune One Product” (OCOP) program, launched in 2018, has approximately 7,200 OCOP products. OCOP proves to be the right policy of the Party, the State and the Government in raising incomes, creating jobs, improving living standards, and developing the rural economy. This program has aroused the potential, advantages and capacity of local people. We see this as a key program that needs to be further promoted in the coming time.

Provinces and cities should actively research and promulgate a number of specific mechanisms and policies in order to speed up the progress and improve the quality of program implementation in line with the actual local conditions. In addition to central capital, it is necessary to integrate local capital and social capital, to both attract businesses to rural areas and create space for start-ups in each locality.

The National Target Program on New Rural Development for the 2021-2025 period is designed not only to build a system of infrastructure, facilities, and hard institutions, but also to attach special importance to economic development, preserving rural identity, promoting traditional culture, and improving community capacity in rural society. The program closely and synchronously combines economy, culture and society in rural areas. These new issues will ensure the harmonious and sustainable development of rural areas, rich in identity, and improve people's intellectual level and quality of life as they have access to education and health care, nutrition, and gender equality.

In the coming time, what groups of tasks and solutions will you focus on?

In the coming time, we will advise the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and other ministries and agencies to finalize documents guiding the implementation of resolutions, decisions, circulars and guidelines. Accordingly, on the basis of the plan promulgated together with Decision 05/QD-BCDTW-VPDPNTM, the related agencies and 63 provinces and cities will have to develop their own specific plans to organize the implementation in accordance with the practice; promptly respond in the fastest way so as not to obstruct the implementation process of localities.

In addition, the Central Coordination Office for New Rural Development will also develop and complete a set of criteria on agricultural and rural tourism; support the construction of a number of models, as a basis for effective evaluation for replication. This solution is the same as when embarking on the implementation of the National Target Program on New Rural Development in 2009. The Secretariat of the Party Central Committee selected 11 communes of the whole country to support investment, upgrade new rural criteria; and from there, will summarize and evaluate to improve mechanisms and policies to be replicated nationwide.

Thank you very much!