9:36:24 AM | 1/24/2023
With support policies of the City and localities and the response of the people, the National Target Program on New Rural Development of Hanoi is promoting its effectiveness. Currently, Hanoi is a "bright star" on the country's new rural development map. To better understand the advantages and difficulties as well as solutions to speed up this process, our reporter has an interview with Mr. Nguyen Van Chi, Deputy Director of the Hanoi Office of the National Target Program on New Rural Development.
Rating and evaluation of Hanoi’s OCOP products
In 2022, what are the advantages and disadvantages of Hanoi's localities in implementing the National Target Program on New Rural Development?
After more than 10 years of implementation, the National Target Program on New Rural Development has achieved great results. The material and spiritual life of the people has been improved. Up to now, the city has all 382 communes complete new rural development, 15 out of 18 districts and towns fulfill new rural development standards, 48 communes reach advanced rural development standards and five communes of Dan Phuong district get certified exemplary rural development standards. This is a stepping stone offering important momentum for task implementation in 2022 and beyond.
In addition, in 2022, agriculture, rural areas and farmers received special attention from the Party and the State, focused on direction and priority, support mechanisms and policies for program investment in 2021 - 2025. Specifically, many programs and resolutions have been launched, including Decision 263/QD-TTg dated February 22, 2022 of the Prime Minister on the National Target Program on New Rural Development in 2021 - 2025; and Resolution 19-NQ/TW dated June 16, 2022 of the 13th National Party Congress on agriculture, farmers and rural areas to 2030, with a vision to 2045.
In addition to the above advantages, the implementation of the National Target Program on New Rural Development encountered some difficulties. In 2022, localities that registered to meet new rural development standards were mostly remote and poor. Meanwhile, the National Criteria for new rural development in 2021 - 2025 require a higher level and need more resources and implementation time: Smart village model, green land for public use in rural residential areas, and more laborers working in key economic sectors. According to the Model Criteria for Rural Development for the 2021 - 2025 period, the per capita income requirement is 10% higher than that of the advanced rural commune, which is relatively high compared to many communes. Moreover, a number of instructive documents and slowed funding resources of the central government affected implementation progress of localities.
What approaches did the Hanoi Coordination Office of the National Target Program on New Rural Development recommend to deal with difficulties?
The Coordination Office actively advised the Hanoi People's Council, the Hanoi People's Committee, the Steering Committee for national target programs for new rural development, and the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development to promptly implement guiding documents of the Central Government; coordinated with departments and branches to complete proposed rural development criteria for standard rural communes, advanced rural communes, exemplary rural communes and exemplary rural villages; directed implementation of National Criteria for new rural development for the 2021 - 2025 period. The Office advised the Hanoi People's Committee to issue Decision 3098/QD-UBND dated August 29, 2022 on promulgation of criteria for new rural communes, advanced rural communes and exemplary rural communes in Hanoi in 2021 - 2025 and Decision 3099/QD-UBND dated August 29, 2022 on promulgation of criteria for new rural districts; stipulated urban towns that completed new rural development tasks and criteria for advanced rural districts in Hanoi in 2021 - 2025. The Office consulted the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development to issue Instruction 226/HD-SNN, Instruction 227/HD-SNN, and other documents on guidance on methods of evaluating and scoring criteria for meeting new rural development standards at all levels in the 2021 - 2025 period for localities to follow and implement. The Office counseled the City People's Committee to ask the City People’s Council for funding support for implementation of the National Target Program on New Rural Development in 2022 with a total budget of VND1226.7 billion. The agency sped up communications on raising awareness of agriculture, farmers and rural areas for Party members, public employees and people from all walks of life; diversified forms and communication contents through mass media and activities of political and social organizations to raise perception of Party members, public employees and people of all strata; and reinforced unity in awareness and action with the motto "People know, people discuss, people monitor and people benefit" to ensure political security, social order and safety in rural areas.
Moreover, the Office also advised the Provincial People's Committee to direct related departments and agencies to actively coordinate with localities to work out implementation plans; mobilize drastic participation of the whole political system, all levels and branches of government in the program; and check and evaluate the implementation progress.
2022 was the first year that communes were evaluated and scored according to new criteria on advanced new rural areas set for the 2021 - 2025 period. Hanoi targeted having 25 communes meet advanced rural development standards. How was the result? In the coming time, what solutions should localities in the city focus on to get targets realized?
In 2022, the City People's Committee assigned targets to districts and towns to make 25 communes certified advanced rural standards. According to registration records filed by districts and towns, 57 communes completed advanced rural development standards in 2022, nearly 2.3 times higher than the target. Presently, the Municipal Appraisal Council appraised 13 communes, including three in Ba Vi district (Son Da, Van Thang and Tan Hong), four in Hoai Duc district (An Khanh, Duc Thuong, Kim Chung and Son Da), six in Gia Lam district (Kieu Ky, Duong Ha, Ninh Hiep, Kim Lan, Van Duc and Da Ton), for the status of advanced new rural communes. The council will judge 42 remaining communes in the coming time. According to the Hanoi Coordination Office for the National Target Program on New Rural Development, the number of communes certified to meet advanced new rural development standards in 2022 will exceed the target assigned by the city government.
In order to accomplish the goal assigned by the city government, localities need focused leadership, direction and drastic actions of Party committees and authorities and broad participation of the whole political system, especially the masses. They need to focus and prioritize investment resources to complete advanced rural development criteria and communes need to clearly define necessary areas for focused investment. While urgently completing given criteria, localities need to pay attention to building and completing documents to submit to competent authorities for certification. Municipal departments and branches assigned to lead each of new rural development criteria actively work out inspection plans, urge and promptly guide solutions to remove difficulties for districts and communes; instruct preparation and completion of proof documents for certification.
At the same time, they need to strengthen communications and training to raise public awareness; promptly inform and fully propagate documents via conferences and existing local media, especially urgent issues and contents, in order to encourage internal resources and arouse solidarity, responsibility and consensus among the people.
With drastic and focused direction and high determination of the whole political system and people's efforts in the city, localities will reach all the targets as expected.
Thank you very much!
By Minh Ngoc, Vietnam Business Forum