The living standards of people in Ho Chi Minh City's suburban areas haveimproved significantly thanks to the national new rural area buildingprogramme, a recent review meeting heard.
In Xuan ThoiThuong commune, Hoc Mon district, infrastructure and people'slivelihoods have improved, with many transport projects, healthcare andcultural facilities, schools, and others operating there, said Van ThiBach Tuyet, chairwoman of the district People's Committee.
Xuan Thoi Thuong commune is one of six communes in the city chosen toparticipate in the programme, the others being Tan Thong Hoi and Thai Myin Cu Chi district, Tan Nhat in Binh Chanh district, Nhon Duc in Nha Bedistrict, and Ly Nhon in Can Gio district.
Theprogramme seeks to develop infrastructure and production, improvelivelihoods, protect the environment, ensure social security, culture,and other aspects by creating jobs, providing loans, and trainingpeople.
At the meeting, Nguyen Phuoc Trung, director ofthe city Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, said the sixcommunes have fulfilled all of the programme's 19 criteria related totransport, irrigation, housing, poverty mitigation, and political andsocial security among others.
The average per capitaincome in these communes has risen significantly, he said, adding thatin Xuan Thoi Thuong commune for instance it increased to 32.2 millionVND (1,524 USD) from 29.5 million VND (1,396 USD ) a year earlier.
Last year the city expanded the pilot programme to 50 other communes.Trung said it carried out more than 1,500 traffic, irrigation,electricity, and educational works and rebuilt 730 dilapidated houses ata cost of 3.9 trillion VND (184.7 million USD).
Besides, more than 7.4 trillion VND (355 million USD) was invested inagricultural development to improve people's income and reduce poverty,he said.
The poverty ratio – households with a yearlyaverage income of below 12 million VND (568 USD) are classified as poor —has fallen from 5.77 percent in 2010 to 1.15 percent now, he said.
This year the city would ensure that at least 17 other communes fulfilla minimum of 17 of the criteria, and all other communes meet at least15, he said.
Le Thanh Liem, deputy chairman of the cityPeople's Committee, said the city also targets replacement of alldilapidated and temporary houses this year as part of the programme.
Trung said the city needs around 9.78 trillion VND (463.2 million USD)to invest in basic infrastructure, restructuring production, education,healthcare, and cultural activities in these areas this year.-VNA