(VOVworld) - Since launching of the program on new rural development two years ago, Vietnam’s rural face has changed greatly with people’s living conditions having been improved both materially and spiritually. However, to fulfill the program’s targets by 2020, localities nationwide have been making summaries, drawing lessons to deal with pending difficulties in communication, planning, and using capital sources. VOV’s reporter Vinh Phong reports….

The irrigation system of Tây Tựu communes, flower-growing village at the outskirts of Hanoi, has been concretized. (Photo: http://vietnam.vnanet.vn)

After two years of implementing the national target programme on building new rural areas, 68% of communes across the country have completed general planning and 44% of them have ratified the plans. On top of 11 pilot communes having achieved 15 to 18 of the new criteria, more than 980 others attained 10 norms and above. 53 provinces and cities have arranged a total of 700 million USD from their local budgets for the mission. Ho Chi Minh City took the lead in this task followed by Vinh Phuc and Hanoi. But Nguyen Huu Duc, Secretary of Phuoc Hau commune in Ninh Thuan province, said a number of criteria of the 19 norms set for new development models are not in conformity with local situations. He commented ‘Criteria No 12 on restructuring rural labor is the most difficult to be fulfilled and realized. It requires 30% of the total rural labor do agriculture. I propose the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development refer the Central Steering Board to adjust the norm to match each region and each locality. Besides, the government should pay more attention to financial support to build schools meeting national standards, concretize local canals and irrigation systems.’

Le Truong Luu is Vice Chairman of the People’s Committee of Thua Thien Hue province ‘Although we have done quite well the program on building new rural areas, there remain many issues including restricted capital sources. Second, we still face lots of hardships to develop production to increase people’s incomes.’

In reality, the current difficulties in implementing the program are due to inefficiency of communications to make the public be well aware of building new rural areas. Communications and public information campaigns about the programme need to create a spreading and consensus from the central to grassroots level and to every citizen.

Another popular recommendation is capital resources which include the money for building works of welfare for the people such as power stations, roads, schools, and medical clinics and the funding for production development. Deputy Prime Minister Vu Van Ninh who is also head of the Central Steering Board of the program said from now until 2015, both government and provincial authorities will review the implementation to further tap credit sources and call on credit institutions to prioritize capital for new rural development. Ninh said ‘Many capital sources from the government, enterprises, and credit institutions haven’t been used effectively. A lot of credits offered by the government and banks at 0% interest rate haven’t been fully expended. We will ask banks offering credits to provide clearer instructions and facilitate better conditions for people to borrow money to implement the program. Regarding the capital from the state budget, the Ministry of Planning and Investment will balance financial resources for five years until 2015.’

To achieve goals on new rural development by 2015, localities should increase the involvement of authorities at various levels, strengthen the steering boards of different levels, and complete the planning for communes. In the near future, the central steering board will instruct, check, and review planning including the approved plans, according to Deputy Prime Minister Vu Van Ninh. He furthered ‘We should make a comprehensive review and summarize effective models and duplicate them nationwide. More attention should be given to the instruction and inspection of planning in communes with focus on a requirement to match local practical conditions.’

The foremost goal of the new rural development program is to make basic changes for people’s life and production.

Vinh Phong