Achieving New Rural Standards - Challenges After Glory: Final Episode

BHG - Clearly identifying the "bottlenecks" hindering the process of maintaining and improving the quality of New Rural Areas (NTM), the province has been synchronously implementing many solutions to ensure that the title of NTM standard reflects the true nature, not only as a proud milestone but also as a driving force for sustainable development.

Identify “bottlenecks”

In 2017, Nam Ty was the second commune of Hoang Su Phi district to achieve NTM standards; marking a proud milestone, reflecting the continuous efforts of the entire political system and the people in socio-economic development, improving the quality of life.

Sturgeon farming opens up new economic development opportunities for people in Ho Thau commune (Hoang Su Phi).

However, according to the Chairman of Nam Ty Commune People's Committee, Nguyen The Soan: The joy of achieving NTM standards did not last long before difficulties appeared. The move from Region III - an especially difficult area to Region I caused many important policies such as: Health insurance, education support, attracting officials to work in difficult areas or preferential credit for production and business households to be cut or no longer enjoyed. Meanwhile, the results of NTM construction are not really sustainable, the need for investment to maintain and improve the criteria is increasing but the source of support capital is limited. This makes maintaining the criteria a difficult problem. Up to now, out of a total of 19 NTM criteria, the commune has only maintained 9 criteria.

Not only Nam Ty, many communes in the province are also in a similar situation. Many commune leaders frankly admitted: The pursuit of achievements when building new rural areas is real. Because of the pressure to "reach the finish line", localities have to "advance achievements, gradually pay back criteria". But then, in the period of 2021 - 2025, the National Criteria for New Rural Communes has changed compared to the period of 2016 - 2020. In which, 9 criteria were added and higher requirements for quality standards. Typically, the multidimensional poverty criterion (below 13%), income criterion (in 2024 is 45 million VND). This makes it even more difficult for localities that already "owe" criteria to maintain and improve the quality of new rural criteria.

At the end of 2020, Ho Thau commune was recognized as meeting the NTM standards. At this time, all the branch roads of Chien Thang village have not been concreted. This is also one of the "debts" in the process of approving the commune to meet the NTM standards. According to regulations, to ensure traffic criteria, at least 75% of the branch roads of households must be hardened and concreted. However, over the past 4 years since the commune met the NTM standards, "paying the debt" is still a difficult problem. For convenience in travel, 14/47 households spent their own money to pour concrete on the branch roads, but the total length was less than 0.5 km out of a total of 2.5 km that needed to be completed; and the width was only over 80 cm, not meeting the required standards. Mr. Ban Ta Chieu, Head of Chien Thang village, worried: “The average income per capita of the village is only a very modest 17 million VND/year, so it is difficult to mobilize social resources from the people to invest in infrastructure. Even though we have difficulty with food, clothing, and children's education, spending tens of millions of VND to pour concrete on branch roads is not easy.”

In fact, there are criteria such as income, poor households or environment that are only temporary. When reviewing, localities can mobilize many resources to implement projects, support people to increase income, reduce poverty to meet the criteria. But in the long term, when the "milk source" of the budget is cut, there is a lack of sustainable mechanisms, people's income is unstable, poor households can fall back into poverty, infrastructure works are degraded due to the impact of natural disasters or lack of maintenance funds. According to the review of specialized agencies, to complete 178 unmet criteria to maintain the standards for 46/51 new rural communes, the locality needs about 553.72 billion VND. But currently, the investment capital from the National Target Program on New Rural Construction only reaches an average of about 2.7 billion VND/commune for the entire period of 2021 - 2025 while the local budget is limited, and the capital combined from other programs has not met the actual needs.

According to the assessment of the professional agency: After achieving the NTM standards, many localities showed signs of slowing down, being satisfied with the results achieved, lacking a strategy to maintain and improve the quality of the criteria in a sustainable manner. In addition, the work of reviewing and evaluating the criteria according to the new set of criteria is not carried out regularly, leading to the development of plans and budget allocation that are not close to reality. This makes it difficult to maintain and improve the quality of the criteria, affecting the sustainable development of the locality.

High determination, great effort

Ms. Phan Mui Nhin, Nam Ty commune shared: When the commune first met the NTM standards, the roads were concreted, the schools and cultural houses were spacious, everyone was excited. However, in recent years, the infrastructure has deteriorated without funds for repairs. The support program is no longer available, many economic models are gradually becoming less effective. Without timely attention and investment, NTM is afraid that it will return to the way it was before.

The Tay people in Phuong Do commune (Ha Giang city) preserve their cultural quintessence through Then melodies and Tinh lutes.

Based on an objective assessment of the current situation, our province has implemented many drastic, synchronous and practical solutions to overcome shortcomings in building new rural areas. In the face of the fact that many criteria such as transportation, electricity, cultural facilities, commercial infrastructure... in communes meeting new rural standards show signs of deterioration due to lack of funds for maintenance; the Provincial People's Committee requested districts to allocate funds from local public budgets to support communes to maintain criteria, avoid the risk of falling standards, and ensure fairness among localities.

To optimize resources, the province continues to effectively integrate capital from 3 national target programs and other programs and projects, ensuring the proper and effective use of the state budget. At the same time, credit policies are promoted, attracting investment in rural areas, contributing to improving people's quality of life. In particular, for communes in Region III that have been recognized as meeting NTM standards, specialized agencies have advised the Provincial People's Committee to propose the Central Government to consider a special mechanism so that these communes can continue to enjoy the same policies as before they met NTM standards. Thereby, helping communes maintain their achievements, creating a foundation for sustainable development.

Along with the above solutions, the province is promoting propaganda work to create consensus in awareness, change the thinking of officials and people in building new rural areas in the direction of "ecological agriculture, modern countryside, civilized farmers". Promote the role of the people as the subject, strengthen inspection and supervision to ensure the program of building new rural areas is substantial and goes into depth. Encourage the spirit of daring to think, daring to do, daring to innovate and be creative in performing tasks, especially developing multi-value rural economy associated with environmental protection, digital transformation and ensuring security and order. Implement parallel investment in infrastructure construction with production development, increasing income for people. Promote the leading role of enterprises, cooperatives, and cooperative groups in organizing production, orienting the market, promoting rural economic development in a sustainable direction.

Standing Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Hoang Gia Long said: Currently, the Provincial People's Committee has not revoked the decision to meet the new rural standards for communes whose criteria have dropped according to the new set of criteria. Instead, departments and branches will strengthen guidance, inspection, and support for establishments to overcome the dropped criteria; District People's Committees will focus on integrating capital sources to ensure that by the end of 2025, all communes meeting the new rural standards will have completed 19/19 criteria as prescribed. After that time, if the communes fail to overcome the dropped criteria, the Provincial People's Committee will consider revoking the decision to meet the new rural standards.

In order to avoid the situation of "debt" of criteria for a long time, localities are currently mobilizing the participation of the entire political system, promoting the role of the people, gradually removing difficulties to maintain and improve the quality of NTM criteria in a practical and sustainable direction. Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Hoang Su Phi district, Ly Choi Nhan said: Maintaining environmental sanitation, renovating houses, building a civilized lifestyle, participating in protecting security and order... are contents that can promote people's strength without depending much on the budget. Therefore, we focus on propaganda, raising awareness and responsibility of people in performing the tasks of each family, village and commune. When community awareness is raised, criteria such as culture, environment, security and order will be maintained sustainably. For criteria that require investment resources, we focus on mobilizing and integrating support programs and projects to complete criteria that have not been met after review. In particular, criteria related to people's lives such as income, education, and environment are being given priority to overcome.

NTM is not a short-distance race to the finish line at all costs, but a long journey that requires a solid foundation. The true value of the standard title lies in the improved quality of life and the long-term benefits for the people. If we only chase after the title, we may reach the finish line but quickly run out of breath. Hopefully, with strong political determination, practical approaches and consensus from the whole society, NTM will not only stop at the title but become a sustainable foundation, bringing the countryside closer to the destination of prosperity, happiness and livability.

Article and photos: THU PHUONG