Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has praised the achievements made by the Steering Committee for the Northwestern Region in recent years, especially in mobilising funds for social welfare.

Meeting officials of the committee’s standing board on February 19 in the northern mountainous province of Yen Bai , Deputy PM Phuc, who is also a Politburo member and head of the committee, noted that many social welfare projects have been implemented efficiently.

The committee has also coordinated closely with other agencies such as the Ministry of Public Security and the Northwestern Security Department to ensure political security and social order in the region, he said.

Deputy PM Phuc also lauded efforts of the committee in introducing proposals which have helped further consolidate the local political system in the region.

He also asked the committee to do more to strengthen the local political system and enhance Party building in communes and villages.

The Deputy PM underscored that more creative measures should be deployed in order to fulfil all key tasks in 2014, especially in sustainable poverty reduction and tourism promotion.

He asked for closer coordination between the committee and the 14 regional provinces to share information and handle arising problems in a more effective manner.

The northwestern region covers Hoa Binh, Son La, Lai Chau, Dien Bien, Yen Bai, Lao Cai, Lang Son, Tuyen Quang, Phu Tho, Bac Kan, Cao Bang, Ha Giang provinces and some districts of Thanh Hoa and Nghe An provinces.

The same day, Deputy PM Phuc also attended the inaugural ceremony of a 250 billion VND iron ore sorting factory invested by Minh Duc Mining Company in Tran Yen district, Yen Bai provice, which has a capacity of 250,000 tonnes every year.-VNA