Over 193 trln VND for new rural area building from 2016-2020 hinh anh 1Illustration photo. (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) – At least 193.1 trillion VND (8.7 billion USD) will be allocated for new-style rural area building in the 2016-2020 period.

Of this, 63.1 trillion VND (2.8 billion USD) will be sourced from the central budget and the rest will come from the local coffer.

The figures were revealed during a seminar on proposing measures to boost sustainable new-style rural area building in underprivileged communes. It was held by the Central Coordination Office on New Rural Development in Hanoi on November 26.

The national target programme, initiated by the Government in 2010, sets 19 criteria on socio-economic development, politics and defence, aiming to boost the development of rural regions.

By November this year, 10 districts and 1,298 communes had been recognised as new-style rural areas.

According to Deputy Head of the Office Nguyen Minh Tien, 2,535 out of more than 10,000 communes across the country are underprivileged. They fulfilled an average of only 5.94 criteria, with 1,374 communes meeting between five and nine criteria, and 552 achieving less than five .

The annual average income per capita in those disadvantaged areas is 14 million VND (636 USD), while the rate of poor households is 18.56 percent.

In order to efficiently implement the new-style rural area building from 2016 to 2020, the central office will focus on communes in underprivileged areas.

Accordingly, each disadvantaged commune will be allocated funding at least four times higher than in non-priority communes.-VNA

VNA