Conference discusses ethnic socio-economic development programme in Mekong Delta hinh anh 1An overview of the conference (Photo: VNA) 
Soc Trang, (VNA) – A conference took place in the Mekong Delta province of Soc Trang on April 5, spotlighting the delta’s implementation of a national target programme for socio-economic development in ethnic minority and mountainous areas for 2021-2025.

According to Politburo member and Vice Chairman of the National Assembly (NA) Tran Thanh Man, the national target programme, approved by the Prime Minister in October last year, targets to reduce the number of communes and hamlets with special difficulties by 50 percent by 2025; and basically put the percentage to zero percent by 2030. Its first stage is being rolled out from 2021-25.

The NA has approved more than 137 trillion VND (5.98 billion USD) to implement the programme from now to the end of 2025, Man said.

At the conference, participants discussed the programme’s tasks, solutions, planning, and conduction. They clarified that in addition to upgrading essential infrastructure, regional socio-economic development should pay more attention to promoting the organisation of commodity production following value chains, taking care of people’s spiritual lives, and supporting start-ups.
Conference discusses ethnic socio-economic development programme in Mekong Delta hinh anh 2Deputy PM Pham Binh Minh speaks at the conference (Photo: VNA) 
In his conclusion, Politburo member and Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh stated the Party, State and Government always care for ethnic minorities and people living in mountainous areas.

The sum of 137 trillion VND approved for the programme during 2021-2025 is expected to create breakthroughs for growth in these areas, he said.

He ordered preparations to begin in April.

On the occasion, the Joint Stock Commercial Bank for Foreign Trade of Vietnam (Vietcombank) presented gifts worth 4.5 billion VND to poor households in nine localities in the delta./.
VNA