Son La: Focusing on investing in sustainable development for ethnic groups with special difficulties

Along with economic development, the spiritual life of the La Ha ethnic group has been improved, and traditional cultural identity has been preserved and promoted. (In photo: La Ha ethnic cultural club in Bung Lanh village, Muong Giang commune, Quynh Nhai district)

Reporter : Can you give us some highlights about the socio-economic situation of the La Ha ethnic group in the province?

Mr. Luong Van Toan : In Son La, the La Ha people live most in Muong La district, with 4,682 people; Thuan Chau district has 3,076 people, Quynh Nhai district has 1,929 people. In addition, in Moc Chau district, there are 254 La Ha people, concentrated in Tan Lap commune.

In recent times, from investment resources and support from programs, projects and plans for socio-economic development in ethnic minority and mountainous areas, together with other ethnic groups, the La Ha ethnic group in the province has made quite comprehensive progress.

First of all, there is a significant increase in population. In 2019, the investigation and collection of information on the socio-economic situation showed that the La Ha ethnic group in the province had 2,254/10,015 people. After 4 years, according to the results of the review of poor and near-poor households in 2022 approved by the Provincial People's Committee in Decision No. 87/QD-UBND dated January 12, 2023, the whole province has 2,386 households/10,756 people of the La Ha ethnic group, accounting for 0.81% of the province's population.

The lives of the La Ha ethnic group have improved, and the poverty rate has decreased. As of April 2019, according to the multidimensional poverty standard for the period 2016 - 2020, the La Ha ethnic group in the province had 1,100 poor households (accounting for 48.8%) and 318 near-poor households (accounting for 14.1%).

By the end of 2022, according to the review results approved by the Provincial People's Committee, when applying the multidimensional poverty standard according to Decree No. 07/ND-CP, the La Ha ethnic group will have 674 poor households (accounting for 28.25%) and 327 near-poor households (accounting for 13.70%).

Reporter : Currently, which areas of Son La province where La Ha ethnic people live benefit from investment resources from Sub-project 1 - Project 9 under National Target Program 1719, sir?

Mr. Luong Van Toan : To implement Sub-project 1 - Project 9 under the National Target Program 1719, on October 4, 2023, the Provincial People's Council issued Resolution No. 235/NQ-HDND approving the list of 36 villages in 17 communes in 03 districts with a large number of ethnic minorities with special difficulties to receive investment and support under the National Target Program 1719.

Accordingly, Quynh Nhai district has 05 villages in 02 communes; Muong La district has 18 villages in 11 communes; Thuan Chau district has 13 villages in 4 communes with a large concentration of La Ha people living there, which are the locations for implementing Sub-project 1 - Project 9 for ethnic groups with special difficulties in the period 2021 - 2025.

Previously, based on the Resolutions of the Provincial Party Committee and the Provincial People's Council, the Provincial People's Committee issued Plan No. 257/KH-UBND dated October 27, 2022 on the implementation of the National Target Program 1719 in Son La province. For Sub-project 1 - Project 9, Plan No. 257/KH-UBND sets out the task of investing in infrastructure in villages with a large population of La Ha ethnic people; supporting production development and livelihoods for La Ha ethnic households in particularly difficult communes and villages in the province.

Reporter : Can you tell us some initial results in implementing Sub-project 1 - Project 9 in the province?

Mr. Luong Van Toan : For Sub-project 1 - Project 9, the province has been focusing on implementing investment policies and supporting socio-economic development in areas with a large population of La Ha ethnic people. As of October 2024, the province has disbursed 251.24/488.72 billion VND of capital for Sub-project 1 - Project 9, reaching 51.62% of the assigned capital plan.

From the capital of Sub-project 1 - Project 9, many infrastructure works after being put into use have been effective, promoting socio-economic development, contributing to accelerating the process of building new rural areas in localities where La Ha ethnic people live.

Infrastructure investment in Han village, Chieng Pha commune (Thuan Chau district)

For example, in Han village, Chieng Pha commune (Thuan Chau district), implementing Sub-project 1 - Project 9, in 2022 and 2023, the village will invest in 4 infrastructure works (600m long intra-field ditch, nearly 3km long road from the commune center to the village, upgrading the cultural house and the road from Han village to Na Heo village), with a total capital of nearly 16.8 billion VND.

The synchronous investment in infrastructure in Han village has contributed to making Chieng Pha commune meet new rural standards by the end of 2023; the commune's poverty rate is 11.9%; the average income is 42.1 million VND/person/year. In Han village alone, by the end of 2023, the whole village still has 2/69 poor households and 7 near-poor households.

In 2024, according to Plan No. 67/KH-UBND dated March 4, 2024 of the Provincial People's Committee, the total capital plan (central capital) assigned to implement Sub-project 1 - Project 9 is 125,474 billion VND. Son La province continues to effectively implement the contents of Sub-project 1; at the same time, make adjustments according to authority or recommend the Central Government to make adjustments, amendments and supplements to some remaining contents to speed up the implementation progress of Sub-project 1 of Project 9.

Reporter: What are the difficulties and obstacles that need to be resolved in the implementation of Sub-project 1 of Project 9 in Son La province, sir?

Mr. Luong Van Toan : With the attention and direction of the Provincial Party Committee, the Provincial People's Council, the Provincial People's Committee, and the close coordination between departments, branches, sectors and localities, the implementation of the National Target Program 1719 in general, with Sub-project 1 of Project 9 in particular in the province has achieved positive results. In particular, up to this point, the whole province has not allowed any outstanding debt to arise in investment capital for investment projects.

The road to Tro Phang village, Chieng Pha commune, Thuan Chau district is concreted.

However, it must be recognized that the National Target Program 1719 has large content and scale, and is related to many areas under the management and guidance authority of many sectors. Some regulations of the Government and guidelines of central ministries and sectors are slow to be issued, need to be revised and supplemented, and there are many problems affecting the implementation process.

For Sub-project 1 - Project 9, the Government has allocated public capital to implement the content of supporting production development and livelihoods for ethnic minority households with specific difficulties in Son La province from 2022 and 2023. In 2024, the Government will not allocate public capital to implement this content.

Currently, to implement production development support for beneficiaries, Son La province requests the Ethnic Committee and the Ministry of Finance to inform whether the locality can use capital transferred from 2022, 2023 to 2024 to implement direct production development support for households according to the norms from 2023 and the whole year 2024?

La Ha ethnic people in Huoi Long village, Noong Lay commune, Thuan Chau district grow fruit trees to develop family economy.

For example, support for breeds, barns, some input materials to convert the structure of crops and livestock with high economic value, vaccines to prevent dangerous diseases for livestock and poultry: Maximum 10 million VND/household/year according to the rate in Circular No. 55/2023/TT-BTC dated August 15, 2023 of the Ministry of Finance; In 2024, Son La province will support 20 million VND/household (including the support rate for 2023 and 2024).

In addition, for ethnic groups with special difficulties, the province requests that competent authorities consider providing guidance so that all ethnic households with special difficulties enjoy the same policies (such as policies to support household development, policies to support people). It is requested that competent authorities consider providing separate, specific guidance for each content of the special project according to Point a, Clause 9, Section III, Decision 1719/QD-TTg dated October 14, 2024 of the Prime Minister.

Thank you very much!

Along with investment and support for socio-economic development in areas with a large population of La Ha ethnic people, implementing Sub-project 1 - Project 9, Son La province has been supporting production development for ethnic groups with many difficulties (Khang, Mong, Xinh Mun, Kho Mu) in 11 districts approved under Decision 1227/QD-TTg dated July 14, 2021 of the Prime Minister; at the same time, implementing propaganda and mobilization to reduce the situation of early marriage and consanguineous marriage in 202 communes of ethnic minority and mountainous areas of the province.

Son La: Proactively adjusting capital to ensure investment efficiency

Source: https://baodantoc.vn/son-la-tap-trung-dau-tu-phat-trien-ben-vung-cac-dan-toc-co-kho-khan-dac-thu-1734173746992.htm