Adjustments Proposed for Program on Development of Ethnic Minority-Inhabited, Mountainous Areas
The government on May 22 submitted to the 15th National Assembly (NA) a proposal on adjustments to the investment policy for the national target program on boosting the socio-economic development of ethnic minority-inhabited and mountainous areas in the 2021-2030 period, aiming to facilitate the disbursement of capital for the program.
Delivering the proposal, Minister-Chairman of the Government Committee for Ethnic Minority Affairs Hau A Lenh noted that the disbursement of capital for the program has yet to meet expectations.
Lenh cited a report by the Ministry of Finance showing that as of the end of March, about VND2.11 trillion ($82.85 million) of capital for the program had been disbursed, reaching 14% of the plan. However, the amount of non-business capital disbursed for the program was estimated at VND38.38 trillion, fulfilling only 1% of the plan, he noted.
The official said that the approval of adjustments to the program’s investment policy is expected to create positive impacts on the socio-economic development of ethnic minority-inhabited and mountainous areas, contributing to settling difficulties and obstacles facing the program, thus facilitating the disbursement of capital for projects. The total cost for the adjustments is about VND4.14 trillion, he said.
Delivering a verification report on the government’s proposal, Chairman of the NA Ethnic Council Y Thanh Ha Nie Kdam said that the government needs to further clarify the necessity of the adjustments as well as the list of specific investment items, along with the situation of investment beneficiaries that play an important role in education, training, health care and traditional culture conservation in ethnic regions.
The council proposed that the NA agree on the principle for adjusting a number of contents related to the investment policy for the program in the 2021-2030 period and assign the government to review and issue a specific investment list for public non-business units operating in ethnic affairs, boarding schools for ethnic students, district-level health stations and hospitals, relics and projects on conservation of ethnic minority groups that are inside or outside the current recognized ethnic minority and mountainous areas.
The council asked the government to direct ministries, sectors and agencies to review and amend relevant legal documents, with priority given to the classification of ethnic minority-inhabited and mountainous areas.