Focusing policies on the "poor core" area of Western Quang Nam

The meeting focused on assessing the implementation of tasks in the past time; proposing tasks and solutions for implementation in the coming time.

Efforts to realize the targets

Reporting at the meeting, the representative of the Department of Planning and Investment said that up to now, the assigned tasks to implement Resolution No. 12, dated July 20, 2021 of the Provincial Party Committee have basically been deployed by agencies, units and localities. Steering Committee members continue to closely follow the tasks and work programs set out with many synchronous solutions. The Western region has been implementing well the resolutions of the Government , directives and instructions of the Provincial Party Committee, People's Council and Provincial People's Committee.

Delegates attending the working session. Photo: CN

The reported results have more or less shown the efforts to realize the set targets: The total state budget revenue of 9 mountainous districts by the end of 2023 is about 1,802 billion VND, reaching 113% of the plan; average income per capita reaches 24.13 million VND/year, an increase of nearly 4 million VND compared to 2020. Up to now, the poverty rate has decreased to 22.5%, the rate of trained workers has reached 51.41%; 34 communes (out of 93 mountainous communes) have met the NTM standards (123/194 communes in the whole province); 98.81% of villages have paved car roads to the center; forest cover rate reaches 66.91%,...

The Western region has basically protected the existing natural forests, ensured the ecological environment, preserved and developed traditional ethnic culture, consolidated and firmly stabilized political security in the region. The spirit of solidarity among ethnic groups is increasingly strong.

Forest protection work has achieved many positive results, however, forest coverage is difficult to achieve due to the impact of natural disasters. Photo: TC

Mr. Nguyen Quang Thu - Director of the Department of Planning and Investment informed that since the beginning of 2023, the province has allocated more than 2,608 billion VND from investment capital to focus on investing in mountainous areas (34% of the total investment capital of the whole province). Of which, more than 328 billion VND has been allocated to implement policies and resolutions of the Provincial People's Council (not including national target programs - National Target Program); in which many investment policies have been effective. The career capital allocated to mountainous districts to implement programs, policies and projects of the Central and the province is more than 1,305 billion VND (55% of the total career capital of the whole province).

"In addition to continuing to implement the two national target programs on new rural construction and sustainable poverty reduction in mountainous areas, the Central Government has added the national target program on socio -economic development in ethnic minority and mountainous areas. This is an important resource to facilitate socio-economic development in ethnic minority and mountainous areas," said Mr. Thu.

"The solution must be specific"

Delegates spent most of the Fourth Session assessing limitations and problems and proposing solutions.

After listening to the opinions expressed at the meeting, Provincial Party Secretary Luong Nguyen Minh Triet said that with the 15 targets set out in the Resolution, except for 7 targets that are likely to be achieved, the remaining 8 targets face many difficulties. However, there are still targets that can be achieved if determined to implement, such as forest coverage rate, population arrangement... Because in reality, there are localities that do very well, but the overall results are dragged down because some localities do not pay attention.

"It is necessary to compare and find common points in regional planning with provincial planning, to see if there are any contradictions or suitable viewpoints when integrating. We must determine viewpoints to calculate investments in the context of very difficult resources. Currently, there are many desires, everything is necessary and important, but we must consider and arrange within our capacity. We must prioritize what to calculate in the coming time, the solution must be specific, not general anymore!" - Provincial Party Secretary Luong Nguyen Minh Triet emphasized.

Localities have made great efforts in arranging population in the Western region. Photo: CN

Some major difficulties and limitations were pointed out by the members of the Steering Committee. The socio-economic development of mountainous areas is still slow, the scale of production is small, and the potential and advantages of the region have not been fully exploited. People's lives are still difficult, often heavily affected by natural disasters; although infrastructure has been invested in, it is still lacking and weak, not meeting the needs of production development and serving people's lives.

Mountainous areas still have a huge need for infrastructure investment, especially for reconstruction after natural disasters and in particularly difficult areas. Photo: CN

Open thinking for the mountains

Mr. Ho Quang Buu - Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee said that transportation is still the key factor, activating the development driving forces in the Western region. Raising the issue of the province needing to "accept" calculating the budget to clear the land for 3 key routes including National Highways 14D, 14G and 40B, Mr. Ho Quang Buu said that "only with these 3 routes, 1 dong of public investment will attract 4-5 dong of private investment", we must find a mechanism to get priority investment.

"For large timber plantations to increase forest cover, we must also focus on developing native trees, creating livelihoods for people, making crops that can withstand the climate and bring more stable income than current acacia trees. We must have an open mind in developing mountainous areas and finally, we must invest in people. Good human resources can activate many factors behind development" - Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Ho Quang Buu said.

441a7958(1).jpg — Provincial Party Secretary Luong Nguyen Minh Triet directed at the meeting. Photo: TC

Highly appreciating the results of implementing Resolution No. 12 from 2021 to present, Provincial Party Secretary Luong Nguyen Minh Triet affirmed that resources, policy mechanisms and national target programs have created many changes for the Western region. Of the 15 proposed targets, 7 have been achieved, including a good reduction in the poverty rate, surpassing the required progress and speed. Some other targets are also quite good.

Currently, there are 201 projects invested by enterprises, creating a production, business, trade and service environment to facilitate development, maintain national defense and security, pay attention to cultural preservation, and strengthen the political system.

In the coming time, Provincial Party Secretary Luong Nguyen Minh Triet requested to resolutely implement the resolution's task groups, focusing on 5 important project groups, reviewing 88 tasks set out in the work program, calculating and selecting overlapping contents or those that do not have legal guidance.

The Provincial Party Secretary assigned the Department of Planning and Investment to advise the Provincial People's Committee to report on the necessary contents and tasks that need to be temporarily suspended, integrated or adjusted to review, complete, and compare with local planning with regional planning, planning of 3 types of forests, and zoning planning in the context that the province is implementing the concretization of the general planning.

"Departments, branches and localities must step up propaganda and mobilization to raise awareness, change thinking, arouse the people's consciousness to escape poverty, be proactive and responsible in poverty reduction because this is the "core poverty" area of the province. In addition, it is necessary to continue to effectively implement the 3 national target programs, considering this as a fundamental driving force, increase disbursement speed, transfer poor performance areas to effective areas, attach responsibility to leaders, hold meetings to count work, check and evaluate implementation. In addition, focus on solutions to implement unachieved targets, synchronize solutions in a practical direction, suitable to the characteristics of each place" - Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee Luong Nguyen Minh Triet said.

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Report on the policy of merging the Steering Committee on Construction and Development of the Western Region:
At the meeting, Mr. Ho Quang Buu - Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee expressed his opinion on reviewing and merging the current Steering Committees, including the Steering Committee on Construction and Development of the Western Region. "If merging the Steering Committees, we must take into account the similarity factor. In addition, we need to consider adding leaders of 9 mountainous districts to be able to grasp opinions from localities, review, consult, and calculate resources to maintain and effectively implement Resolution No. 12.
Regarding this issue, Provincial Party Secretary Luong Nguyen Minh Triet proposed to report to the Provincial Party Standing Committee on the policy of merging the Steering Committees. The spirit of implementing the merger is that the work content must be transferred, inherited, and considered to supplement the components of the subjects to achieve the highest efficiency.

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