Programs on new rural development and sustainable poverty reduction merged

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh presided over a national online conference on June 22 to review the national target programs on new rural development and sustainable poverty reduction and campaigns on “the whole nation joins hands for new rural development” and “For the poor and no one will be left behind” 2021-2025. The event was co-chaired by Do Van Chien, Politburo member, Chairman of the Central Committee of Vietnam Fatherland Front; Le Minh Hoan, Vice-Chairman of the National Assembly; and 2 Deputy Prime Ministers Tran Hong Ha and Mai Van Chinh. Dinh Van Thieu, Vice-Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, chaired the virtual event in Khanh Hoa.

Delegates visit the OCOP product booth during the ceremony recognizing Dien Khanh District for achieving new rural development standards in early 2025.

Enhancing rural communities’ appearance, millions out of poverty

After 15 years of implementation of the National Target Program on New Rural Development and 25 years of implementation of the National Target Program on Sustainable Poverty Reduction, great socio-economic achievements have been gained in rural areas.

As many as 6,084/7,669 communes (79.3%) were reported to have met new rural standards with 2,567 communes meeting advanced new rural standards and 743 communes meeting new rural standards. 329/646 district-level units in 60 provinces and centrally run cities have been recognized by the Prime Minister as having met new rural standards; 24 provinces and centrally run cities have 100% of their communes meeting new rural standards; 12 provinces have met new rural standards. The average income of rural people in 2025 is expected to reach about VND58 million/person/year.

In Khanh Hoa Province, 73/90 communes have met new rural standards (accounting for 81.1%). Of which, 34 communes met advanced new rural standards; 2 communes met the exemplary new rural standards; Dien Khanh met new rural development standards for a district. The average income in rural areas in 2024 reached VND47.7 million /person/year, up by VND21 million compared to 2020. In the period of 2022-2025, the multidimensional poverty rate in the province has decreased by an average of 1.6%/year, meeting and exceeding the set target. By the end of 2024, in the province, 4,348 poor households were reported, accounting for 1.26%; 8,925 marginally poor households (down by 3,732 households). 2 severely disadvantaged districts of Khanh Son and Khanh Vinh have escaped from the list of poor districts.

A corner of Khanh Vinh mountainous district is being developed into an ecological mountain urban area.

Integration of 2 programs approved

At the conference, the Central Steering Committee of National Target Programs approved the proposal to merge the New Rural Development Program with the Sustainable Poverty Reduction Program. The integration is to ensure the new program is a tool to not only boost comprehensive socio-economic development in rural areas, but also enhance the efficiency of public investment, streamline the leadership apparatus, coordinate support mechanisms, and eliminate overlapping content and beneficiaries.

Speaking at the conference, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh highly appreciated the achievements of the two programs, which had contributed to helping millions of households escape poverty, and significantly improve their material and spiritual lives; and enhancing rural communities’ appearance. The socio-economic infrastructure has been synchronously developed, breathing new vitality into rural communities. Numerous models of advanced models meeting exemplary new rural standards, along with efficient value chains, have emerged, demonstrating sustainable development.

The Prime Minister approved and emphasized the need to continue implementing the program in the direction of integrating the two programs of new rural areas and sustainable poverty reduction in the coming period. He also proposed to the National Assembly to prioritize the allocation of resources to implement the program in the 2026-2030 period and the 2031-2035 period, ensuring the successful achievement of the goals.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh assigned the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment to preside over and coordinate with relevant ministries and departments to develop a report on investment policies for the two national target programs for the 2026-2030 period in the direction of merging them into one program; submit to the Government for consideration, and report to the National Assembly.

The Prime Minister requested localities to consolidate steering committees at all levels in accordance with the two-tier local government system ensuring uninterrupted implementation of the two programs; assess the new rural construction and sustainable poverty reduction, identify goals and tasks to be implemented in the 2026-2030 period, and report to the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment; speed up the disbursement of state budget sources, especially the central budget sources assigned, and strive to disburse 100% of public investment capital by 2025.

Some goals by 2030 are as follows. The average rural per capita income will increase by at least 2.5 times compared to 2020, reaching approximately VND105 million/person/year; No households will remain classified as poor under the multidimensional poverty standard (2022–2025); At least 80% of communes will meet new rural standards with 35% reaching advanced new rural standards and 10% reaching modern new rural standards. The goals by 2035 include that the average rural per capita income will increase by at least 1.6 times compared to 2030; The national multidimensional poverty rate will drop to below 1%; At least 90% of communes will meet new rural standards with 50% reaching advanced new rural standards and 25% reaching modern new rural standards.

H.D

Translated by N.T