Unite, join hands, and effectively utilize resources to soon bring Quan Son out of poverty.

Infrastructure has been completed, socio-economic development has taken positive steps; ethnic minorities unite, join hands with Party committees and authorities at all levels to effectively utilize investment resources and support from the State to develop the economy, increase income, preserve and promote traditional cultural identity;... This is the foundation for the mountainous and border district of Quan Son (Thanh Hoa) to soon complete the goal of getting out of the list of poor districts of the country. Ethnic and Development Newspaper interviewed Ms. Luong Thi Hanh, Provincial Party Committee member, Secretary of the District Party Committee - Chairman of the People's Council of Quan Son district about this content. The socio-economic picture of the ethnic minority and mountainous areas of Nghe An is increasingly changing positively. That transformation is not only evident through hundreds of solidly built houses and constructions, many livelihood models deployed in all villages, tens of thousands of hectares of forest assigned to people... but more importantly, the people's thinking and way of doing things have gradually changed, to contribute to building an increasingly prosperous and developed homeland. On the morning of November 18, in Hanoi, the Ministry of Education and Training coordinated with the Hanoi National University and the University of Economics (Hanoi National University) to organize a meeting with teachers and education managers on the occasion of Vietnam Teachers' Day, November 20, and awarded the Third Class Labor Medal to the University of Economics. General Secretary To Lam attended and delivered a speech. The Ethnic and Development Newspaper respectfully introduces the full text of General Secretary To Lam's speech at the meeting. Infrastructure has been completed, the socio-economic situation has had positive developments; Ethnic minorities unite and join hands with Party committees and authorities at all levels to effectively utilize investment resources and support from the State to develop the economy, increase income, preserve and promote traditional cultural identity;... This is the foundation for the mountainous and border district of Quan Son (Thanh Hoa) to soon complete the goal of being removed from the list of poor districts in the country. Ethnic Minority and Development Newspaper interviewed Ms. Luong Thi Hanh, Provincial Party Committee member, Secretary of the District Party Committee - Chairman of the People's Council of Quan Son district about this content. The socio-economic picture of the ethnic minority and mountainous areas of Nghe An is increasingly changing positively. That transformation is not only evident through hundreds of solidly built houses and constructions, many livelihood models deployed in all villages, tens of thousands of hectares of forest assigned to people... but more importantly, the thinking and working methods of the people have gradually changed, to contribute to building an increasingly prosperous and developed homeland. On November 18, a working delegation of the Ministry of National Defense led by Major General Pham Van Hoat - Deputy Director of the Department of Operations, General Staff of the Vietnam People's Army visited and comprehensively inspected the results of the implementation of tasks in 2024 at the Border Guard (BĐBP) of Kien Giang province. Also participating in the working delegation was Major General Tran Ngoc Huu - Deputy Commander of the BĐBP, along with heads of departments, offices, and specialized departments according to the work plan. Recently, Ngoc Hoi district (Kon Tum) has effectively implemented the policy of supporting residential land, production land, and domestic water for ethnic minority households. Thereby, helping ethnic minorities stabilize their lives and escape poverty. Establishing new villages and hamlets to move people in areas at risk of natural disasters to safe places is extremely necessary and humane. However, resettlement and population stabilization need to be associated with suitable livelihoods so that resettled people can truly "settle down". Implementing the National Target Program on Socio-Economic Development in Ethnic Minority and Mountainous Areas, Phase I: From 2021 - 2025, the Government assigned the Vietnam Women's Union to preside over the implementation of Project 8 "Implementing gender equality and solving urgent problems for women and children". After nearly 4 years of resolutely implementing the National Target Program on Socio-Economic Development in Ethnic Minority and Mountainous Areas for the period 2021 - 2030; Phase I: from 2021 to 2025 (National Target Program 1719), the socio-economic life of ethnic minority and mountainous areas of Phu Tho province has improved. Electricity, roads, schools, and stations have been invested in and newly built, and the lives of ethnic minority people have had many positive changes. Emerging as an attractive tourist destination, Mang Den (Kon Plong district, Kon Tum) is considered a miniature Da Lat in the North Central Highlands with favorable conditions of climate, local culture as well as cuisine and many unique natural features. But the lesson of Da Lat urbanization is a problem for Mang Den to refer to and "learn from experience" in order to preserve its inherent attractiveness. From the 2021-2022 school year up to now, hundreds of teachers in Ha Long city (Quang Ninh) have written volunteer applications to work with schools and classes in ethnic minority and mountainous areas. The rotation of teachers from schools in favorable areas to highland areas has added motivation and new spirit, helping students in difficult areas have the opportunity to access many teaching methods of teachers in the center; at the same time, solving the problem of surplus teachers in favorable areas and shortage of teachers in difficult areas. Although most people agree with the policy of Dak Ha district (Kon Tum) on socializing the upgrading of sidewalks through Dak Ha town, with the State investing 70%, the people supporting 30% of the estimated cost. However, because some contents have not been discussed and agreed upon during the implementation process, so far the contribution of funds from households is still slow. This has also been proposed by the people many times at meetings with voters of People's Councils at all levels. Mr. Ngo Khanh, Chairman of Ninh Phuoc District People's Committee, Ninh Thuan Province, said that implementing the National Target Program for Socio-Economic Development of Ethnic Minority and Mountainous Areas (National Target Program 1719), from 2022 to 2024, Ninh Phuoc District has disbursed a total of 2,212 million VND to implement Project 6 on preserving and promoting the fine traditional cultural values ​​of ethnic minorities associated with tourism development. Of which, there are 2,009.9 million VND of central capital and 203 million VND of local counterpart capital.

Reporter : Can you share some outstanding results after 4 years of implementing the Resolution of the 6th District Party Congress, term 2020 - 2025?

Ms. Luong Thi Hanh, Provincial Party Committee Member, District Party Committee Secretary, Chairwoman of Quan Son District People's Council

Ms. Luong Thi Hanh : Over the past 4 years, with solidarity, high determination, great efforts, along with the timely leadership and direction of the Provincial Party Committee, People's Council, and People's Committee; the coordination of provincial departments, branches, and sectors; the Standing Committee of the District Party Committee has focused on leading, directing, and organizing the synchronous implementation of political tasks in the locality. Up to now, 9 targets of the Congress Resolution have been completed and exceeded the set plan. It is expected that by the end of 2025, 23 targets will be completed and exceeded the plan.

Currently, the whole district has 2 communes and 57 villages meeting the NTM standards (including 9 villages meeting the NTM model standards); there are 9 3-star OCOP products. Culture and society are increasingly changing positively; social security policies are concerned, implemented regularly, fully and promptly; national defense and security are maintained, foreign affairs continue to be strengthened with solidarity and friendship; Party building and political system work are strengthened; ethnic minorities in the district are always united, well implementing the Party's guidelines and policies, and the State's laws and policies.

The district always pays attention to and focuses on foreign affairs to strengthen solidarity and friendship (In photo: Talks and signing of cooperation agreement between Quan Son - Vieng Xay districts for the period 2022 - 2025)

Reporter : In your opinion, what achievements can be considered the most impressive in the socio -economic development of the district in recent years?

Ms. Luong Thi Hanh : In the period of 2021 - 2025, Quan Son is one of the 74 poor districts in the country according to Decision 353/QD-TTg dated March 15, 2022 of the Prime Minister; nearly 90.75% of the district's population are ethnic minorities. Ethnic minority programs and policies implemented in the district are all aimed at rapid and sustainable poverty reduction. Therefore, poverty reduction is one of the most impressive achievements in the district's socio-economic development.

Over the past years, under the leadership of the Party Committee, the management and administration of the local government, the socio-economic situation of ethnic minority and particularly disadvantaged areas of the district has gradually developed. The State's support policies have been promoted and thanks to the efforts of ethnic minorities to escape poverty, the material and spiritual life of the people has been constantly improved.

Quan Son District Party Committee strives to build houses for poor households

In 2023, the average income per capita will reach over 29.9 million VND, an increase of 1.9 million VND compared to 2022. By the end of 2023, the poverty rate of the whole district will be 30.02% (2,780 households), down 5.64%; in the period 2019 - 2023, the poverty rate will decrease by an average of 4.69% annually. In particular, the poverty rate of ethnic minority and particularly disadvantaged areas will decrease faster than the average rate of the whole district.

Reporter : What are the driving forces for socio-economic development in Quan Son district, madam?

Ms. Luong Thi Hanh : Quan Son is a poor district with a large ethnic minority population, and the local budget revenue is very low. Therefore, public investment is both a resource and a driving force to help the district develop its socio-economy.

In the period of 2019 - 2024, the total investment resources from programs and projects in the district reached more than 1,828 billion VND. From 2021 to now, implementing 03 National Target Programs, the total investment capital for all 03 programs reached over 902 billion VND. From that resource, the district has invested in new, repaired, and upgraded works, infrastructure, and favorable conditions to promote production development, business, circulation of goods, and serve people's lives.

A comparative advantage, and also a driving force for Quan Son to continue to develop further, is its tourism potential. Quan Son is a land of "beautiful mountains and rivers", blessed by nature with many beautiful landscapes such as Bo Cung cave, Nang Non cave, Pu Man mountain, Pha Rua cave, etc. Along with that are historical, cultural and spiritual relics such as Tu Ma Hai Dao temple, Pha Lo bridge, etc. The district has Na Meo international border gate. In 2019, the Quan Son - Vieng Xay (Laos) international tourist route was officially announced, attracting hundreds of international visitors each year.

Bo Cung Cave in Quan Son attracts many tourists to visit and experience.

Another great resource of the district is the unique cultural heritage of ethnic minorities in the district and the spirit of solidarity, unanimity and joint efforts of the ethnic people. Along with the process of "building Muong, building hamlets", the ethnic people in the district always maintain the tradition of patriotism, revolution, diligence in labor and production, always believe in the leadership of the Party and State.

Reporter : Among the 3 current National Target Programs, National Target Program 1719 has policy contents that prioritize investment in the most difficult areas, solving the most urgent problems of ethnic minorities. To maximize the effectiveness of the policy contents, how does the district thoroughly implement the leadership and direction of the implementation of National Target Program 1719 , Madam?

Ms. Luong Thi Hanh : The National Target Program 1719 is of special importance to the development of Quan Son district in general and of ethnic minorities in the district in particular. The total central budget allocated to implement the Program for the period 2021 - 2025 in the district is 156,907 billion VND, focusing on investment in particularly difficult areas and prioritizing the resolution of urgent issues in the lives of ethnic minorities.

Thanks to many projects and ethnic policies, the infrastructure of electricity, roads, schools, and medical stations of Quan Son border communes has been invested in to be spacious and solid.

Recognizing that importance, after receiving guidance from the Central and the province, based on Article 26 of Decree No. 27/2022/ND-CP, the People's Committee of Quan Son district advised the Standing Committee of the District Party Committee to issue Decision No. 688-QD/HU dated April 29, 2022 on the establishment of the Steering Committee for the implementation of National Target Programs in Quan Son district for the period 2021 - 2025.

The Steering Committee consists of 31 members, of which the Secretary of the District Party Committee and Chairman of the District People's Council is the Head of the Committee, the Chairman of the District People's Committee is the Standing Deputy Head of the Committee; other Deputy Heads of the Steering Committee are the Standing Deputy Secretary of the District Party Committee and Vice Chairmen of the District People's Committee; Heads of specialized Departments, boards, and district-level mass organizations are members of the Steering Committee.

To ensure that the policies are most effective, with the close attention and direction of the Party Committee, all levels and sectors in the district have proactively implemented the Program; directed local authorities to deploy and fully disseminate policies, mechanisms and regulations to the grassroots, residential communities and people participating in the program implementation; at the same time, created conditions for residential communities and people to participate in monitoring the program implementation according to the provisions of law.

Reporter : As a Party Committee leader, having worked in the locality for a long time, can you share your biggest concerns at present?

Ms. Luong Thi Hanh : After many years working in Quan Son, witnessing the positive development of the district, I am very excited. However, as the head of the Party Committee, with the highest responsibility in the Executive Committee, Standing Committee and Standing Committee of the District Party Committee, I still have many concerns. Because besides the achieved results, the socio-economic situation of the district still has many difficulties and limitations.

The most obvious is that the infrastructure is not yet synchronized; the people's lives are still difficult; the poverty rate is high, and the poverty reduction results are not yet sustainable. The support for production and livelihoods for people is sometimes not timely; the economic restructuring is still slow; and the chain of links in production and product consumption has not been created.

Quan Son hopes that the province needs to pay attention and support the district in attracting investment, especially calling on businesses to invest in production and processing of refined products from bamboo, rattan, and bamboo to help people escape poverty.

The security and order situation in ethnic minority areas still has many complex factors; some ethnic minorities are still being exploited, lured and enticed by bad elements to believe in "evil religions" and self-proclaimed organizations; drug addiction is always latent; child marriage still occurs.

Reporter : To complete the goal of soon removing Quan Son from the list of poor districts, what solutions will the district focus on implementing in the coming time, madam?

Ms. Luong Thi Hanh : The 6th District Party Congress set a goal of striving to remove Quan Son from the list of poor districts before 2025. The results after 4 years of implementing the Resolution are relatively positive; however, to soon fulfill the aspiration set out at the 6th District Party Congress requires the entire political system in the district to make much more effort.

The remaining time of the 2020 - 2025 term is only 1 year, the difficulties and challenges are still very great, while the remaining tasks are very heavy. This requires the Standing Committee of the District Party Committee, the Standing Committee, the District Party Executive Committee, and key leaders of Quan Son district to unite, strive more, strongly innovate thinking, work style closely, resolutely, and more specifically in performing assigned tasks.

Thoroughly implementing the direction of former Provincial Party Secretary Do Trong Hung, Quan Son continues to focus on implementing the "5 steadfastnesses", which are: Maintaining the spirit of solidarity and unity within the Party, within the entire political system, among cadres, party members and all classes of people in the district; maintaining the people's trust and consensus in the leadership of the Party Committee, the administration, the mobilization of the Fatherland Front and organizations; maintaining the revolutionary and offensive spirit, promoting the spirit of self-reliance and self-improvement from the hands and minds, from potentials, strengths, historical, cultural and revolutionary traditions; maintaining territorial sovereignty and national border security; maintaining security and environment of upstream forests, maintaining water source security, thereby creating conditions to promote rapid and sustainable socio-economic development.

Quan Son has built many OCOP products which are local specialties and are popular with many customers (In photo: Delegates visit the Ocop product booth of Quan Son district)

In implementing programs and projects, the district continues to improve the quality and effectively deploy the National Target Programs. At the same time, it continues to mobilize social resources and resources from the people to build new rural areas, ensuring efficiency, saving, avoiding waste, and being suitable to the actual conditions of each locality.

In the field of ethnic affairs and ethnic policy implementation, the district continues to seek support from superiors, mobilize development investment resources of the province, from national target programs and local resources to accelerate the construction of solid, synchronous, inter-regional infrastructure, connecting with localities, creating momentum for the rapid development of the district; continue to invest in construction and upgrading of essential works such as: dams, lakes, irrigation canals; inter-village, intra-village, intra-field roads; schools, medical stations, cultural houses - sports areas, ... to serve the production and life of ethnic minorities.

Thank you very much!

Efforts to sustainably reduce poverty in mountainous districts of Thanh Hoa

Source: https://baodantoc.vn/doan-ket-chung-suc-van-dung-hieu-qua-cac-nguon-luc-som-dua-quan-son-ra-khoi-huyen-ngheo-1731938253485.htm