Bac Yen: Implementing National Target Program 1719

Bac Yen is a mountainous and disadvantaged district in Son La province. The district is home to seven ethnic groups, primarily ethnic minorities, with a population of over 70,000 people. Nearly 96% of the population are ethnic minorities, while the Kinh ethnic group accounts for over 4%. The poverty rate in the district for the period 2022-2025 is 33.17%. Thanks to the special attention of the Party, State, National Assembly, and Government to ethnic affairs and ethnic policies, Bac Yen district has focused on decisively implementing National Target Program 1719. This has contributed to gradually changing the face of rural areas, creating momentum to help people create livelihoods, improve their material and spiritual lives, and achieve sustainable poverty alleviation.

The appearance of Bac Yen district (Son La province) after 60 years of construction and development. Photo: Nguyen Vinh

Implementing the National Target Program 1719 for the period 2022-2025, Bac Yen district (Son La province) has established a Steering Committee and issued a Decision assigning tasks and notifying the assignment of tasks to the members of the Steering Committee. The People's Committees of communes and towns have established Commune/Town Management Boards and Village Development Boards as prescribed. During the implementation process, the district-level Steering Committee, the Commune Management Boards, and the Village Development Boards have advised and directed relevant agencies, departments, and the People's Committees of communes and towns to effectively implement the National Target Program 1719 in the district. Based on guiding documents from higher levels, Resolutions, and Decisions on capital allocation, the District People's Committee has issued 66 documents to implement the program.

Providing breeding cattle under Program 1719 in Bac Yen district (Son La province) aims to create livelihoods, improve the lives of people in disadvantaged areas, and contribute to poverty reduction. Photo: M. Lau

From 2022 to the present, Bac Yen district (Son La province) has been allocated over 280 billion VND to implement the National Target Program 1719. Through this, Bac Yen district has implemented many comprehensive solutions and innovative approaches, achieving remarkable results in poverty reduction in the area, such as: supporting the demolition of 36 temporary houses; supporting the provision of 452 water tanks for scattered household water supply; supporting vocational retraining for 472 households; investing in 46 infrastructure projects; investing in 7 centralized water supply projects; implementing resettlement and stabilization projects for 122 households at risk of landslides in 3 projects (currently, 1 project has been put into use and accommodated 42 households, 2 projects are basically completed and are undergoing the handover process); and organizing 3 literacy classes. Support was provided to 3 traditional performing arts groups and equipment for 58 village and sub-district cultural centers; support was given to forest protection and production forest planning for 642 communities and households covering an area of ​​over 17,771 hectares; a review and assessment process for providing breeding cattle and horses to poor and near-poor households in the area is underway, with plans to provide assistance to 1,162 households in 2024; and legal awareness campaigns were organized for the people in the district.

Bac Yen: Initial results from the National Target Program 1719

Speaking with reporters from NTNN/Dan Viet/Trang Trai Viet online newspapers, Mr. Nguyen Dang Thuc, Head of the Ethnic Affairs Department of Bac Yen district (Son La province), said: "The effective implementation of National Target Program 1719 aims to improve and enhance the material and spiritual lives of ethnic minority people in the district. The effectiveness of the program has been clearly demonstrated. To date, 87.5% of communes have paved or concrete roads leading to the commune center; 67.68% of villages have hardened roads from the commune center to the village center; 73.1% of communes have solidly built schools and classrooms; 86.93% of households have access to safe electricity; 100% of the rural population has access to clean water; 96.1% of the ethnic minority population participates in health insurance; on average, the number of poor households decreases by 4% each year, and by the end of 2024, the poverty rate in the district will be reduced." 24.75% remaining."

The cultural and spiritual life of the people in Bac Yen district (Son La province) is constantly improving. Photo: Nguyen Vinh

Thanks to the attention of the Party, State, National Assembly, and Government to the field of ethnic affairs, ethnic policies, and the effective implementation of policies, programs, and projects under the National Target Program 1719, the appearance of communes and towns in Bac Yen district is increasingly improving, bringing about positive changes, while ethnic cultural values ​​are preserved and promoted. This not only demonstrates the efforts of the government and people of Bac Yen district, but also affirms the important role of ethnic policies in promoting the comprehensive development of ethnic minority areas.

In the mountainous communes of Bac Yen district (Son La province), an increasing number of ethnic minority households have high and stable incomes, enabling them to build spacious and impressive houses. Photo: Nguyen Vinh

Mr. Thao A Mua, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Bac Yen District (Son La Province), said: "The National Target Program for socio-economic development in ethnic minority and mountainous areas has significantly contributed to improving infrastructure, creating favorable conditions for transportation, production, and people's lives. Policies supporting agricultural production, education, and healthcare have directly improved the quality of life and reduced the poverty rate in the locality. In particular, the spirit of solidarity and active participation of the community in implementing the program has shown consensus and trust in the Party and State's policies. In the coming time, the district will continue to implement comprehensive solutions to ensure that the National Target Program for socio-economic development in ethnic minority and mountainous areas continues to bring practical benefits and comprehensively improve the socio-economic lives of ethnic minorities in the district."

Nguyen Vinh