Difficulties in building villages and hamlets that meet new rural standards

Tien Phong village, Muong Bang commune (Tua Chua district) finds it very difficult to meet the income criteria in the process of building a village that meets NTM standards. *Photo: Quoc Huy*

At the beginning of the 2020 - 2025 term, Tua Chua district set a target of having 30% of villages and hamlets meeting NTM standards by 2025 (equivalent to 31/103 villages and hamlets). However, up to now, the entire district has not had any villages or hamlets recognized as meeting NTM standards. After reviewing the criteria, only 9 villages and hamlets met 9 - 10 criteria; 80 villages and hamlets met 5 - 8 criteria and 14 villages and hamlets met less than 5 criteria.

According to Mr. Pham Quoc Dat, Head of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Tua Chua district, although the Party Committee and authorities at all levels in the district have made efforts to implement the program, they have encountered many difficulties. In particular, some criteria have been delayed for many years and are unlikely to be improved immediately, such as: Electricity, multidimensional poverty, income, environment and food safety... In addition, the program's investment funding is low, not meeting the requirements, mainly integrated capital; some contents of the career capital to implement the program's criteria are difficult to implement; the mobilization of people's contributions and non-state resources is still limited.

Similarly, in Dien Bien Dong district, the construction of villages and hamlets meeting NTM standards and model NTM standards is also facing many difficulties and obstacles. The whole district has registered 5/198 villages and hamlets meeting the standards, but so far no village or hamlet has been recognized as meeting NTM standards. Of these, Trung Tam village (Muong Luan commune) met 10/12 criteria; Muong Luan 1 village met 9/12 criteria; Nam Ngam A village and Huoi Tao A village (Pu Nhi commune) both met 7/12 criteria; Na Phat village (Na Son commune) met 10/12 criteria. The criteria that villages face the most difficulties in implementing are: income, poor households, residential housing, rate of trained workers and trained workers with degrees and certificates.

Mr. Lo Van Thinh, Chairman of Pu Nhi Commune People's Committee (Dien Bien Dong District) said: After being recognized as basically meeting the NTM standards in 2020, the commune selected and registered two villages, Nam Ngam A and Huoi Tao A, to build to meet the NTM standards. However, up to now, both villages have only achieved 7/12 criteria; the criteria that have not been met include: Income; multidimensional poverty; labor; health; environment and food safety. In particular, the criterion on the multidimensional poverty rate for the period 2021 - 2025 must be below or equal to 13% or less, which is very difficult to implement. Meanwhile, the lives of people in the two villages are still poor, there are few effective livelihood models, and people's income mainly depends on agricultural production.

Like Tua Chua and Dien Bien Dong, in the province, there are still Muong Nhe, Muong Ang districts and Muong Lay town that have not yet had any villages or hamlets recognized as meeting the NTM standards. According to statistics from the Provincial NTM Coordination Office, although localities have made efforts to implement solutions, so far the whole province has only 125/1,445 villages and hamlets meeting the standards (of which 66 villages and hamlets have met the NTM model standards). The implementation of the criteria according to the NTM Village and Hamlet Criteria Set and the Model NTM Village and Hamlet Criteria Set in the province by 2025 has encountered many difficulties. Out of a total of 12 criteria with 29 targets (NTM villages and hamlets) and 6 criteria, 26 targets (model NTM villages and hamlets), there are many high criteria and targets that are difficult to implement such as: Income; The rate of households regularly using electricity from the national grid must reach 95% or more for villages and hamlets that meet NTM standards; there must be no dilapidated houses; the rate of households that classify waste and have pits for collecting and treating waste at home must reach 100%; or the rate of multidimensionally poor households must be 8% or less for model villages and hamlets...

To accelerate the progress of building villages and hamlets that meet the new rural standards and model new rural areas, it is necessary to promptly overcome limitations from subjective causes. These are: Propaganda work has not been carried out regularly; some cadres and people have not fully understood the role and significance of the new rural construction program; there is still a mindset of waiting for support from the State. At the same time, it is necessary to strengthen inspection and review to remove difficulties and obstacles; effectively integrate capital sources.

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