The Party General Secretary has emphasised the necessity for the northern mountain province of Lai Chau to continue with hunger eradication and poverty reduction in a sustainable manner.

The Party leader, Nong Duc Manh, made the statement while working with the Standing Board of the provincial Party Committee, on the last leg of his tour of the north-western region, on Jan. 21 and 22.

He requested that the provincial Party Committee select potential areas of focus for the work, and push for breakthroughs in socio-economic development.

Hydroelectricity is a one of Lai Chau’s major assets, Manh said, and Lai Chau should invest in traffic planning, resettlement of local residents and the development of new production industries for resettled families.

Hydroelectric construction will yield a great source of capital for hunger eradication and poverty reduction as well as infrastructure construction in disadvantaged areas, thus helping improve the lives of ethnic minorities, he added.

The Party leader also suggested Lai Chau develop its processing industry to create a source of high-quality goods and raise the incomes of local people.

Lai Chau and other north-western provinces should pay special attention to education and training and put in place policies on the training, appointment and duties of officials.

According to a report by the provincial Party Committee, the provincial economy maintained an annual growth rate of 15 percent during the 2006-09 period, almost doubling 2004’s figure. Its food output recorded a 3.6 percent year-on-year increase in 2009 while its number of heads of cattle posted an annual increase of 7.8 percent and its forest coverage reached 42 percent.

In 2008 and 2009, the province planted more than 4,000 ha of rubber trees in Sin Ho and Phong Tho districts.

All of its communes have completed the universalisation of primary education, and 51 percent have universalised junior secondary education.

Additionally, the rate of poor households in the province fell from 60.4 percent in 2005 to 28.2 percent at present under the new criteria.

On Jan. 21, Party General Secretary Manh visited Sin Ho district and talked with ethnic people in Ta Tu 1, a newly-resettled village. He praised the people of the village for facilitating the pace of construction of the Son La hydroelectric power project./.