Phu Tho (VNA) – After completing an overhaul of its implementation apparatus and issuing key guiding documents, the northern province of Phu Tho is shifting its national target programme on new-style rural area development, sustainable poverty reduction, and socio-economic development in ethnic minority and mountainous areas for 2026–2030 from preparation to full-scale implementation.
However, funding shortages, slow disbursement and limited implementation capacity at the grassroots level remain key bottlenecks that must be addressed to meet first-year targets.
Institutional reform lays the groundwork
With 2026 kicking off the new programme cycle, the province is focusing on building a solid institutional framework, clear organisational structure, and strong coordination to ensure smooth and consistent implementation from the provincial level down to the communes.
By the end of June, Phu Tho had established a steering committee for the national target programme and restructured its coordinating office into a more specialised body. Communes and wards also completed the reorganisation of their steering boards with clearly assigned responsibilities.
The province simultaneously issued implementation guidelines, including task assignments for agencies and new-style rural area development criteria for 2026–2030. It also organised 29 training workshops for more than 1,940 participants while expanding communications through media and digital platforms.
Phu Tho carried over 814 billion VND (31.2 million USD) in central funding into 2026. More than 89.1 billion VND was allocated to new-style rural area development, with 6.8% disbursed. Sustainable poverty reduction activities received over 130 billion VND, with 11.14% disbursed, while nearly 595 billion VND was allocated to ethnic minority and mountainous area development, with 6.98% disbursed.
Nguyen Nam Cuong, Deputy Chief of the provincial National Target Programme Coordinating Office, said implementation is beginning to produce tangible results.
In Lai Dong commune, where more than 93% of residents belong to ethnic minority groups, many targets from the previous phase have already been achieved or exceeded. By June 30, all households had access to electricity and hygienic water while average annual income among ethnic minority residents reached 37.5 million VND.
Dinh Thi Tuyet Mai, Secretary of the Lai Dong Party Committee, said the commune has integrated funding sources to invest in essential infrastructure, improve social welfare and create sustainable livelihoods. It is implementing 11 infrastructure projects, including schools, flood-resilient rural roads, farm access roads and technology-related facilities.
Similar progress in Lai Dong, Tam Nong, Xuan Dai and other localities shows the programme is gradually improving rural infrastructure, incomes, living conditions and access to essential public services.
Tackling bottlenecks
Despite early progress, implementation continues to face challenges.
Authorities noted that following the introduction of the two-tier local administration model, communes and wards now oversee larger administrative areas while many civil servants still lack experience in planning, monitoring and programme management. Reporting in some localities has also been delayed or inadequate.
Ensuring sustainable poverty reduction remains another challenge. Implementation has slowed because of unstable livelihoods in some communities, modest capacity, limited awareness raising communications, dependence on state support, and delays in central budget allocations for the new programme phase.
Vice Chairman of the Phu Tho People's Committee Dinh Cong Su said by the end of 2026, the province will finalise policies and mechanisms, issue new-style countryside development criteria and strengthen the accountability of local authorities, particularly agency heads. It will also expand training, inspections and public communications while preparing funding allocation plans immediately after central budget approval.
It will review poor and near-poor households in 2026, monitor poverty reduction efforts and redesign communication campaigns to encourage greater self-reliance, he went on.
Phu Tho has proposed the Government to allocate the full five-year funding package in the first year and grant local authorities greater flexibility in planning investment and recurrent spending. It also called on ministries to streamline and ensure consistent implementation guidelines.
By the end of 2026, the province aims to have four communes recognised under the new-style rural area development standards while reducing its household poverty rate to 2% from 2.68% at the end of 2025. It will enhance efforts to boost incomes and improve access to basic public services, paving the way for greener and more sustainable rural development, especially in ethnic minority and mountainous regions./.
VNA
