Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung on Jan. 19 led a government delegation to the northern mountainous province of Ha Giang to examine its socio-economic development last year and outline new tasks for 2010.

During a working session on the same day with the provincial authorities, PM Dung praised the efforts by the locality in maintaining high growth rate despite effects from natural disasters and diseases.

In 2009, Ha Giang’s GDP grew by 13.46 percent. The province achieved high agricultural yield of between 12 and 15 tonnes per hectare, thereby slashing the number of poor households by nearly six percent.

The achievements were partly attributed to the PM’s approval of funding worth 201.2 billion VND (roughly 10.86 million USD) in 2007 to build 30 water reservoirs for ethnic people living in rocky mountainous districts.

Since then, 14 reservoirs have been built to supply the four water-lacking districts of Dong Van, Meo Vac, Yen Minh and Quan Ba with water.

However, Ha Giang remains a poor province with an annual average per capita income of only 6.3 million VND and an under-developed infrastructure for development.

Therefore, PM Dung urged the province to make the best use of its advantages, including natural resources and a vast area of forest, to speed up socio-economic development.

The PM asked the provincial authorities to make a thorough review of hydro-power and mining projects to make sure of their profitability and friendliness to the environment. He suggested investment should be increased in developing cross-border economic and tourism services so as to achieve sustainable development.

As part of the visit to Ha Giang, PM Dung and his entourage visited and presented gifts to familities of ethnic minorities in Lung Cu commune of Meo Vac district, which is the farthest point in northern Vietnam .

The delegation is scheduled to continue visiting other districts in Ha Giang to check out poverty reduction work and give presents to local people before the lunar New Year holiday./.