New rural construction: Binh Duong strives for better lives of countryside people

National target program on new rural construction (NRC) has been implemented by Binh Duong province and got many good results. However, the target of this program is not an achievement, but determined to improve the material and spiritual life of people in rural areas. Binh Duong Newspaper interviewed Mai Hung Dung, Member of Provincial Party Standing Committee, Permanent Vice Chairman of Provincial People's Committee, on this issue.

 An Dien Primary School in An Dien Commune, Ben Cat Town was built nicely, contributing to the completion of NRC criteria of the commune.

- Could you please tell us about outstanding results of the national target NRC program in period 2016-2020?

- Over 3 years from 2016 to 2018 of national target NRC program, with the determination of the Party, government, Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee, political and social organizations at all levels, the support of people and businesses, the province achieved many good results. Overall, by the end of 2018, the number of communes meeting NRC standards according to the Plan No. 975/KH-UBND dated 21 Mar 2017 of Provincial People's Committee. Social resources were well mobilized to serve NRC. Specifically, total mobilized capital in 2016-2018 for NRC in the province was VND 6,686 billion, of which budget capital was VND 2,853 billion.

Socio-economic infrastructure in rural areas in the province has been continuously improved, the material and spiritual life of countryside people has been heightened. This result was demonstrated through basic criteria of NRC, such as the province maintained 100% communes meeting medical standards; 100% houses met standards set by Ministry of Construction, no temporary houses, dilapidated houses; 100% hamlets used mobile phones, got internet access in many forms; 100% communes had culture houses meeting criteria; 66.3% schools met national standards. By the end of 2018, the rate of poor households according to the new multi-dimensional poverty standards was only 1.62% (of which poor households under social protection policy was 0.65%, households under poverty reduction target was 0.97 %); rate of people using clean water reached 73%; per capita income in rural areas reached VND58 million (up 11% compared to 2015).

- So far, Binh Duong has 100% communes basically completed NRC national target program, many districts and towns have met NRC standards and completed NRC tasks. So, how did we carry out the improvement of the quality of NRC criteria in order for NRC program to go deeper, sir?

- In order for the NRC program to become deeper, achieve the program's goal of improving countryside people’s lives, on 16 Jul 2018, Provincial People's Committee issued a set of advanced criteria for NRC in Decision No. 1925/QD-UBND, as a basis for assessing the improvement of the criteria achieved after meeting NRC standards. The advanced targets aimed at bettering people lives in rural areas, reducing the distance between rural and urban areas to enjoy services, facilitating production development and raising incomes for rural people.

Based on this decision, Provincial People's Committee directed departments, People's Committees of districts and towns to focus on implementing a number of key tasks such as: People's Committees of districts and towns to direct People's Committees of recognized NRC communes to review and evaluate the achieved criteria, continue to improve limited criteria to fully meet the standards in the period of 2017-2020 according to Decision. No. 730/QD-UBND dated 24 Mar 2017 of Provincial People's Committee. Communes that had met the requirements of the NRC commune criteria for the period of 2017-2020, urgently developed plans and organized the implementation of advanced NRC communes in period 2018-2020 in order to constantly improve material and spiritual life of countryside people.

Departments and agencies based on their assigned functions and tasks shall have to support and guide People's Committees of districts and towns to organize the implementation of advanced criteria. Provincial People's Committee assigned Department of Agriculture and Rural Development to study and instruct People's Committees of districts and towns to select and develop a number of pilot models to build NRC communes as a basis for the expansion in the next stage.

- Could you tell us the goals and orientations of NRC in 2019?

- In 2019, the province strives to have 5 - 7 communes to achieve advanced and standardized NRC title; 2 more districts to meet NRC standards, bringing the total number of NRC districts and towns to 5 districts and towns. Besides, the province continues to strengthen propagation to raise grassroots officials and people’s awareness to firmly grasp objectives and methods of building new rural areas, thereby promoting the leading role of the people in implementing NRC at their locality.

Besides, the province asks that communes that met NRC standards must continue to implement and improve NRC targets and criteria, step by step achieve advanced and standardized NRC title; regularly check, evaluate and urge the implementation of targets; summarize annual experiences, awards, and widen outstanding units. Additionally, the province asks departments, People's Committees of districts and towns to focus on directing, guiding and recognizing communes to meet advanced and standardized NRC. People's Committees of districts and towns strengthen professional staff in economic management, basic construction management to support commune management board; regularly check the implementation of NRC program in communes and report the implementation progress.

Departments and branches according to the assignment of Provincial NRC Steering Committee, Provincial People's Committee continue to instruct the implementation of advanced NRC criteria, and counsel Provincial People's Committee to issue mechanisms, policies to accelerate the NRC program.

- Thank you Sir!

Reported by Thoai Phuong – Translated by Ngoc Huynh