Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc asked the northwest mountainous province of Son La to do more in the combat against drug trafficking at his working session with the province’s authorities on April 4.

In 2014 and the first quarter of 2015, Son La police busted a number of cross-border drug trafficking rings. They had to even deal with armed traffickers.

By the end of 2014, 72 out of the province’s 204 communes, wards and towns were listed as drug hot spots, and 12 communes had drug abuse.

Deputy PM Phuc suggested ministries and sectors supplement capital for Son La to implement transport projects, including Road 102 crossing remote Lung Xa, Ta De and Long Luong villages in Van Ho district and Hang Kia commune in Mai Chau district, thus making it easier for the fight against drug trafficking.

According to Cam Ngoc Minh, Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee, the province’s GDP last year grew by 11.3 percent over the previous year, while its budget collection reached 2.86 trillion VND (85.86 million USD), or a rise of 36 percent from the planned figure.

Son La has accomplished the goal of universalising primary education, he said.

The provincial leader proposed that the Government provide about 1.82 trillion VND for 12 projects in the locality together with increased financial support for the protection and replanting of local forests.

He also asked for the Government’s larger technical and financial assistance to the province’s fight against drug trafficking.-VNA