Hanoi aims an additional 2 districts recognised as new-style rural areas

The capital city is aiming to have an additional 22 communes and two districts recognised as new-style rural areas in 2017, according to the municipal Party Committee’s steering board for agricultural development and new countryside building.

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The city plans to spend more than 6.74 trillion VND (297.3 million USD) on building new-style rural areas this year, according to the municipal Party Committee’s steering board for agricultural development and new countryside building.

Covered by the city’s budget, about 2.24 trillion VND (98.8 million USD) of the sum is earmarked for supporting production activities and building and upgrading transport and irrigation facilities, schools, cultural establishments, clinics, and markets.

Hanoi is aiming to have an additional 22 communes and two districts recognised as new-style rural areas in 2017.

In 2017, the city hopes the average per capita income in rural areas will increase to 38 million VND (over 1,670 USD), reducing the poverty rate with Vietnam's new standard in rural areas by 2, 85% while the figure of agricultural labourers in training will rise to 46-52 percent.

Hanoi also aims to have 91 percent of waste in rural areas collected and treated in accordance with Vietnam’s environmental standards.

To achieve the goal, according to Director of Hanoi Finance Department Ha Minh Hai, the city will still prioritize the allocation of funds for agricultural development and new countryside building in 2017.

Besides, Hanoi will spend 100% of the capital from land auction of the districts and towns in the locality to serve new rural construction, he added.

The official also stressed the important role in mobilizing the participation of People and businesses in the building  of new-style rural areas.

Building new-style rural areas is a national target programme initiated by the Vietnamese Government in 2010. The programme sets up 19 criteria with specific targets in planning, socio-economic infrastructure, economy and production, as well as politics, culture, society and environment.

According to the Hanoi Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, as of September 2016, the city had 212 new-style rural communes, an increase of 11 from 2015.

Making her speech at a recent conference to review implementation of the programme 02 of the Hanoi Party Committee for period 2016-2020, Permanent Deputy Secretary of municipal Party Committee Ngo Thi Thanh Hang said the city's building new-style rural areas achieved  many significant results in 2016.

During the previous year, Hanoi saw an additional 54 communes recognised as new-style rural areas, exceeding the set target of 32 communes.

Under a decision issued by the Prime Minister in April 2016, a district must have all communes meeting all of the criteria to be designated a new-style rural district. Previously, those with 75 percent of communes satisfying the 19 criteria were eligible.

As of September 2016, as many as 2,045 communes, accounting for 23 percent of nationwide communes, were recognised as new-style rural areas, along with 24 district-level localities. Vietnam aims to have 50 percent of all communes meet all the requirements by the end of 2020.

Translated by Thu Minh

Source: Thien Quang-Kinhtedothi