Socio-economic development of ethnic minority areas

The traffic route to the villages in Chieng Pha commune, Thuan Chau district, is concreted. Photo: Quang Huong

In the 2021-2025 period, Son La province has been allocated more than VND 5,653 billion from the National Target Program 1719 (Program 1719) to implement 10 projects to develop the socio -economy of ethnic minority and mountainous areas. The projects focus on: solving the shortage of residential land, production land, and domestic water; arranging and stabilizing the population; contracting forest protection; supporting production according to the value chain; investing in electricity and essential infrastructure; developing education and health care; preserving ethnic culture; promoting gender equality and supporting ethnic minorities.

Mr. Thao Xuan Nenh, Deputy Director of the Department of Ethnic Minorities and Religions, said: As the standing agency of the program, the Department has advised the Provincial People's Committee to allocate capital and issue guiding documents according to regulations. At the same time, it has proactively monitored, inspected, coordinated to remove difficulties, and accelerated the progress of project implementation. As of June 2025, the whole province has disbursed 3,666 billion VND, reaching 64% of the capital plan, which is high compared to the national average.

After nearly 5 years of implementation, the whole province has gradually solved the problem of residential land and production land for 640 households; built 85 water supply works to serve more than 8,200 households; arranged and settled residents at 17 locations with 956 households. At the same time, renovated and built more than 160 rural traffic works, 190 community houses and over 140 other infrastructure works. In addition, more than 70,600 workers were connected to jobs and changed their occupations; over 7,800 poor and near-poor people were trained in vocational skills...

The route from the center of Muong Hung commune to Huoi Bua village, Huoi Mot commune, Song Ma district, was put into use.

In the 2021-2025 period, Son La has 202 communes in ethnic minority areas, of which 126 communes are in region III. Implementing Program 1719 and related projects, by early 2025, the province has reduced 18 extremely difficult communes, leaving 116 communes. By the end of 2024, the poverty rate among ethnic minorities will decrease to 14.2%; 98% of communes and 78.3% of villages will have car roads to the center; 100% of schools, classrooms and medical stations will be solidly built; 98% of ethnic minority households will have access to the national grid and clean water for daily life, etc.

Quynh Nhai is one of the localities with a high disbursement rate of Program 1719, with nearly 166.5 billion VND, reaching 88.3%. Mr. Lo Thanh Thuy, Vice Chairman of the District People's Committee, said: The district has promoted propaganda and effectively implemented component projects. Many projects have achieved a disbursement rate of over 90%, such as supporting residential land, housing, production land, domestic water; planning and arranging residents; investing in infrastructure to serve production and the lives of ethnic minorities. Thanks to that, the poverty rate in the district has decreased from 8.4% in 2021 to 3.7% in mid-2025, contributing to promoting new rural construction.

In the past 5 years, Quynh Nhai district has invested over 40.3 billion VND to support resettled people. Specifically, it has built 10 centralized water works, distributed water supply to 379 households, built houses for 33 poor households, and supported 128 households in settling down. In addition, it has supported 888 breeding cows, 258 black catfish cages, and 30 hectares of coffee for 216 households in Chieng Khay, Muong Gion, Ca Nang, Nam Et, and Muong Sai communes. Thanks to that, the lives of resettled people have gradually improved.

People of Chieng Khay commune, Quynh Nhai district, are supported with breeding cows.

The family of Mr. Lo Van Tien, Muong Sai commune, Quynh Nhai district, was supported with 10 kg of catfish fry. Mr. Tien said: The family focuses on raising fish in cages on the hydroelectric reservoir. Up to now, the model has developed 20 cages with about 1,000 catfish, selling for 90,000 VND/kg, bringing the family an income of more than 100 million VND/year.

In Phu Yen district, the Program's capital is allocated with a focus, prioritizing urgent issues related to infrastructure and production. The district invested in 95 essential projects such as roads, irrigation, markets, schools, medical stations, cultural houses, and power grids with a total cost of VND237.2 billion. At the same time, sustainable agricultural and forestry production development projects were also implemented, helping ethnic minorities increase their income.

For the forest protection and development program alone, Phu Yen district supported 5.2 billion VND, planted more than 140 hectares of production forest, and assigned management and protection contracts for more than 8,280 hectares of forest to 312 households and 7 village communities in 9 communes. Mr. Mui Van Nguyen, Van Yen village, Tan Phong commune, said: In 2022, his family was supported with 6 million VND/ha to buy seedlings, so his family planted 4 hectares of teak. Thanks to this policy, many households have the conditions to develop economic forests, green bare land, and create a sustainable source of income.

Program 1719 not only contributes to investing in essential infrastructure, but more importantly, it changes people's thinking and working methods, raising their awareness of economic development and new rural construction.

Source: https://baosonla.vn/nong-thon-moi/phat-trien-kinh-te-xa-hoi-vung-dan-toc-thieu-so-mXbmIHENg.html