Hanoi takes lead in new rural areas

Hanoi is striving to reach its target of having more than 80 percent of its communes meet the new rural area criteria by 2020.

High-tech flower gardening in Hanoi’s Dan Phuong District

Improved living standards

Hanoi has so far regrouped plots of land totaling 18,500 hectares to promote large-scale commodity-oriented agricultural production development. The capital has become one of the biggest provinces in Vietnam in terms of new rural area construction. The Prime Minister has recognized the Dan Phuong and Dong Anh districts of Hanoi as new rural areas, and 255 of all 386 city communes have been certified as new rural areas.

Agricultural and rural development achievements have changed the quality of life of residents. Per capita income in rural Hanoi increased almost 2.6-fold, from VND14 million in 2011 to VND36 million in 2016, VND11 million higher than the target.

The survey was conducted in 2016, covering more than one million households in rural areas and urban households engaged in agricultural, forestry and fisheries production.

According to a survey conducted by the capital city in 2016, 96.4 percent of hamlets have health workers and 373 doctors are working at commune-level health centers, while 46.1percent of rural communes had privately-run medical stations.

Road infrastructure has been improved significantly, with 99.9 percent of hamlets accessible by car.

New rural commune criteria

The city Party Committee has asked relevant authorities to implement rural area development targets for the coming five years. On April 3, the Chairman of Hanoi People’s Committee, Nguyen Duc Chung, issued Decision 2072/QD-UBND on criteria for new rural communes in Hanoi. The criteria form the basis for people’s committees of districts and towns to draw up plans for new rural area construction; inspect, evaluate, accredit and certify communes meeting the criteria; and launch new rural area development directions to 2020.

The city People’s Committee told its Department of Agriculture and Rural Development to chair and coordinate with relevant authorities and organizations to announce the criteria. The Hanoi regulatory office for new rural area development will work with relevant authorities to implement the decision.