Public consensus has significantly contributed to Phu Quy island’s success in rural development since the island started implementing a national new rural development programme three years ago, reported by The Voice of Vietnam (VOV).

Visitors to Binh Thuan province’s Phu Quy island today are amazed by its cleanliness thanks to the islanders’ determination to protect the environment under the new rural development programme.

"It has become part of our daily routine to keep our residential areas clean and tidy. We sweep our streets and alleys at dawn and dusk or whenever they are dirty or covered with falling leaves," Pham Thi Hoa lives in My Khe hamlet, Tam Thanh commune, Phu Quy island district, told VOV.

Since Binh Thuan province launched a new rural development campaign three years ago, people on Phu Quy island have planted trees and worked to keep the environment clean. They have also contributed money and labour to upgrading the local road system.

Nguyen Huynh lives in Trieu Duong hamlet, Tam Thanh commune said, 80 percent of the money to pave the roads came from the government. The rest was contributed by local people.

According to Huynh, people on the island are very willing to join the government’s efforts to improve the road system, which makes it easier for them to get around.

"We’ve done all we can to make local people understand the programme importance. People have been very eager to get involved,” said Le Hong Loi, Deputy Secretary of the Phu Quy Island district Party Committee.

Tam Thanh was the first commune on Phu Quy island to complete all 19 criteria of the national new rural development programme.

Ngo Thi Thai, Chairwoman of the Tam Thanh communal People’s Committee, said the commune’s completion of the national rural development programme’s criteria is due to local people’s consensus and participation.

All households on Phu Quy island now have access to clean water. The number of poor households has fallen significantly and local living conditions are much better than before.

Ta Minh Nhut, Deputy Chairman of the Phu Quy island district People’s Committee, told VOV that "We aim to complete the national new rural development programme by the end of this year.-VNA