Hanoi Joins Forces to Promote Rural Development

After nearly 10 years of carrying out the new rural development program, Hanoi has continuously improved its rural infrastructure. This is an important foundation for the city to make more economic breakthroughs.

According to the Hanoi Coordination Office for New Rural Development Program, Hanoi currently has 355 out of 382 communes qualifying for new countryside standards and 13 communes achieving advanced new countryside standards. For 27 remaining communes, 24 communes have achieved 15-18 criteria and three communes have fulfilled 11-14 criteria. At the district level, in addition to six certified districts, four districts and one town are eligible for the new status certified by the Prime Minister. The total budget for new countryside construction is VND12,355 billion from the end of 2019. Localities have actively informed and engaged businesses and people to voluntarily contribute VND609 billion for new countryside construction. In the first six months of 2020, urban districts provided VND43.17 billion of assistance to rural districts, raising the total funding to VND713 billion from 2016 to date.

The traffic system has been rapidly developed, featuring synchronous trunk roads in communes that facilitate convenient travelling and transportation all year round. 381 communes have met traffic criteria and only one commune missed this recognition. In addition, Hanoi Power Corporation actively invested in upgrading the rural power grid to gradually improve access to power grid according to new rural development criteria and meet specialized technical standards. Moreover, non-EVN business entities in Hanoi have also endeavored to raise nearly VND50 billion annually to upgrade their power grids. Up to now, 100% of communes reached electricity and power grid criteria. The education system has been upgraded day after day in both quantity and quality to gradually meet students’ learning demands. Facilities have been invested and equipped to meet schools’ teaching and operating needs. The quality of education and training continues to be improved. Gifted and universal training in rural areas has been significantly improved. 361 communes have achieved education criteria while 21 communes have yet to fulfil them.

Farmers' living standards have been constantly raised. The income per capita in rural areas reached VND51.5 million in 2019. In the first six months of 2020, the city allocated VND1,020 billion to the Vietnam Bank for Social Policies, including VND770 billion for job creation and VND250 billion for agricultural development, new rural development and livelihood improvements. The city arranged the fund for people affected by the Covid-19 pandemic (phase 1), including people with meritorious services, social beneficiaries, poor households, near-poor households and people with difficulty. As of May 2020, Hanoi basically completed the relief support worth over VND474.2 billion for over 385,000 people, reaching 100% of the plan.

Ms. Ngo Thi Thanh Hang, Permanent Deputy Secretary of Hanoi City Party Committee, said, after 10 years of carrying out the new rural development program, the face of the countryside has been markedly improved and the material and spiritual life of people has kept increasing. These achievements came from the high resolution of the entire political system and the active participation of people. This is an important premise for Hanoi to accomplish the set goals. The capital city of Vietnam will focus on carrying out consistent solutions to expand the agriculture sector in 2020 by 4.12% or more to further enhance the physical and spiritual life of rural people, upgrade modern, synchronous rural socioeconomic infrastructure; strengthen social democracy, national cultural identity; protect the “bright, green, clean and beautiful” rural environment, landscape and space; and strengthen political security, national defense,” she said.

By Duc Binh, Vietnam Business Forum

THE PROGRAM COOPERATED WITH CENTRAL COORDINATION FOR NEW-STYLE RURAL DEVELOPMENT