Complete the socio-economic development goals of the Son La Hydropower resettlement area

Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha speaks at a working session with ministries, branches and localities on the implementation of the Project on population stabilization and socio -economic development in the resettlement area of ​​Son La Hydropower Plant (Project 666) - Photo; VGP/Dinh Nam

Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Vo Van Hung said that the total investment capital needed to implement Project 666 is 6,945 billion VND to support production development (2,523 billion VND); repair and upgrade infrastructure works (2,654 billion VND); arrange and stabilize residents (400 billion VND); support trade and tourism development (184 billion VND); repair, upgrade and build new infrastructure works (541 billion VND).

However, the state budget has only allocated and disbursed 3,453 billion VND to implement and complete 133/528 component projects, nearly 300 km of roads, nearly 100 domestic water supply and irrigation works. Currently, the provinces are continuing to implement 395 projects including: Transportation (287 projects), domestic water (69 projects), irrigation (32 projects) and 7 other projects.

To date, Project 666 has not yet completed its set objectives. Many contents have changed compared to the time of survey and approval.

The biggest difficulties in the implementation of Project 666 are: Capital sources to support production development and ensure livelihoods for people have not been arranged; there is overlap in scope and objects with 3 national target programs (socio-economic development of ethnic minority and mountainous areas, new rural construction, sustainable poverty reduction); policies and mechanisms on investment, infrastructure construction, compensation for site clearance... have changed.

Chairman of Son La Provincial People's Committee Nguyen Dinh Viet said that after nearly 10 years of implementation (since 2018), some contents related to supporting production development, arranging and stabilizing residents in Project 666 need to be reviewed to avoid overlapping and duplication with 3 national target programs. Up to now, Son La province has only been granted 2,041/5,141 billion VND under Project 666. The public funding source has not been arranged to support production development for resettled households; there are still 347/12,584 households that need to be resettled due to natural disasters, floods, or do not have enough conditions to stabilize and develop production.

The leaders of the People's Committees of Lai Chau and Dien Bien provinces said that in the past, localities have integrated some tasks of Project 666 into 3 national target programs, as well as used local budgets. However, there are still some contents on infrastructure and production development support in Project 666 that are not included in the target programs. Therefore, the 3 provinces of Son La, Lai Chau and Dien Bien proposed that the Central Government arrange a targeted support program to completely complete the remaining contents of Project 666, especially repairing and upgrading infrastructure works to serve production development.

Deputy Minister of Finance Do Thanh Trung requested localities to review the investment items for the right subjects of Project 666, propose the central budget for targeted support to complete the remaining tasks of Project 666 as soon as possible, avoid duplication with the 3 target programs; at the same time, re-count the number of households needing livelihood support to arrange local budgets or propose to add to the new rural program, socio-economic development of ethnic minority and mountainous areas.

Representatives of ministries, branches and localities speaking at the working session - Photo: VGP/Dinh Nam

Concluding the meeting, Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha stated that the development and improvement of the lives of the people who have migrated to make way for the Son La Hydropower Project is a priority task. Although the Party, the State, the National Assembly and the Government have paid great attention and issued many projects, decisions, resolutions and policies, we have not yet completed the goal of comprehensive and definitive support for population stabilization and socio-economic development in the resettlement area of ​​the Son La Hydropower Plant. The basic reasons include insufficient funding for implementation; mechanisms and policies are no longer suitable and have not kept up with reality; and there is still confusion in implementation in localities.

The Deputy Prime Minister requested the three provinces of Son La, Dien Bien, and Lai Chau to urgently review the objectives, tasks, investment items, capital needs, scope, and subjects of Project 666 that need to be continued to be implemented in order to establish projects in accordance with the law on public investment and newly issued regulations. The Ministry of Finance is responsible for synthesizing and proposing the structure of central funding sources to support localities to continue implementing and completely completing the objectives of Project 666.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment and the Ministry of Ethnic Minorities and Religions summarized and proposed to add some tasks of Project 666 to the two national target programs on new rural areas and socio-economic development in ethnic minority and mountainous areas.

Minh Khoi

Source: https://baochinhphu.vn/hoan-thanh-bang-duoc-cac-muc-tieu-phat-trien-kinh-te-xa-hoi-vung-tai-dinh-cu-thuy-dien-son-la-102250417184722573.htm