The southern province of Dong Nai will exert all possible efforts to transform impoverished areas, attempting to recognise 34 out of its 136 communes as new-style rural areas by 2015.

Director of the provincial Finance Department Ho Thanh Son made the statement at a meeting in the locality on April 8 to review its January–March socio-economic performance.

Over many years, Dong Nai has poured over 7.5 trillion VND (352 million USD) into the national target programme on rural development, 360 billion VND (17 million USD) of which was sourced from the public. To realise such a goal, it needs another 600 billion VND (28.5 million USD).

Secretary of Xuan Loc district Party Committee Nguyen Minh Nhat, for his part, advocated State support in production and trade as a starting point to raise local living standards.

In his opinion, more attention should be paid to existing new rural areas as some of them still show constraints in healthcare, education and environment.

Dong Nai has so far recorded 15 communes that meet all 19 criteria for productive rural communities.

The annual per capita income is expected to jump 1.7 times from 2010 to over 34 million VND (1,600 USD) next year.-VNA