(VOVworld) – Binh Phuoc province has seen significant changes in 5 years of implementing the national new rural development program. The average local income has doubled since 2010 and Binh Phuoc’s 20 communes have completed 15 of the program’s 19 criteria, thanks to local people’s determination and consensus in implementing the program.

Paved roads and new houses nestled in fruitful orchards lead to the Minh Thanh communal center in Chon Thanh district. The commune’s infrastructure has been upgraded with new schools and heath and culture centers. People in Minh Thanh volunteered their land, labor, and 100,000 USD to implement the national new rural development program. Minh Thanh is one of Binh Phuoc’s 3 communes recognized as a new-style rural area. Phan Van Hanh lives in hamlet 5 of the commune: "People were empowered by the local government and have directly taken part in implementing the program. We organized meetings and elected people to take charge of managing the process. Public consensus was of great importance in ensuring the smooth implementation of the program."

Over the past 5 years, Binh Phuoc has mobilized approximately 300 million USD for the program, one third of which was contributed by the local people. Hoang Nhat Tan is Chairman of Loc Ninh district’s People’s Committee: "People are encouraged to volunteer their labor to upgrade the local infrastructure while the government supplies materials. People are allowed to decide the scale and design of the works they build. In this spirit, new high-quality construction works have been completed."

Binh Phuoc’s Youth Union members have been a key force in the province’s new rural development. In every commune of Binh Phuoc, Youth Union members volunteered to complete some of the program’s 19 criteria. They have helped to establish a number of collectives to boost local production and generate jobs for local youths. Ton Ngoc Hanh is Secretary of the Binh Phuoc provincial Youth Union: "Young people in Binh Phuoc have been engaged in every activity of the national new rural development program. They have registered to complete certain works based on their capacity to contribute."

A poor province with a high percentage of ethnic minority people, Binh Phuoc has set a target of having 46 communes recognized as new-style rural areas by 2020.