New investment to build new rural areas hinh anh 1Illustrative image (Source: VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) – Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai has recently given the green light to an addition of 414,676 USD to an UN-funded project supporting the national target programme on building new-style rural areas.

The funding has been sourced from non-refundable aid provided by the UN One Plan Fund.

The UN designated its Joint Project to provide technical support for the rural programme in Vietnam. Approved by local Government on February 7, 2014, the Joint Project has a budget of 1.39 million USD, of which 1.1 million USD come from the UN’s non-refundable official assistance.

The national target programme on building new-style rural areas, initiated by the Government in 2010, sets 19 criteria on socio-economic development, politics, and defence, aiming to modernise rural areas.

The criteria cover the development of infrastructure, the improvement of production capacities, environmental protection, and the promotion of cultural values.

The country aims to have 50 percent of all communes nationwide meeting all the requirements by the end of 2020.

As many as 1,526 communes and 15 districts nationwide completed all 19 criteria required for being recognised as new-style rural areas, according to reports at a conference to review the UN Joint Project (UNJP/VIE/051/UNJ) in early January.

Thanks to the programme, average per capita income in rural areas increased 1.9 times compared to 2010 and the rate of communes completing the set criteria is on the rise.-VNA
VNA