Hanoi (VNA) – Nineteen communes in the northern province of Ha Nam were named new-style rural areas in 2017, raising the total number of communes with the recognition to 78.
Two districts of Kim Bang and Duy Tien in the province have completed documents for the recognition.
The number of communes meeting all criteria of new-style rural area building is expected to reach 3,300 – 3,400 (or 37 – 38 percent of the total communes across the country) this year, according to the Coordination Office of the national target programme on new-style rural.
[Hundreds more communes to become new-style rural areas in 2018]
At the district level, the number will reach at least 53.
A total of 3,069 communes and 43 districts nationwide were new-style rural areas by the end of 2017.
The National Target Programme on New Rural Development, launched in 2010, set 19 criteria for new-style rural areas covering infrastructure, production, living standards, income, culture and more.
The list of criteria includes the development of infrastructure, the improvement of production capacity, environmental protection and the promotion of cultural values.-VNA