Household poverty in northwest region falls 3.4 percent in 2016
The northwest region of Vietnam recorded stable socio-economic development in 2016 with the household poverty rate dropping by 3.4 percent from the previous year.
The working session between the Steering Committee for the Northwest Region and the National Assembly’s Council for Ethnic Affairs on February 17 (Photo: VNA)
Yen Bai (VNA) – The northwest region of Vietnamrecorded stable socio-economic development in 2016 with the household povertyrate dropping by 3.4 percent from the previous year.
The Steering Committee for the Northwest Region reported thesituation in the region to a delegation of the National Assembly’s Council forEthnic Affairs at a working session in Yen Bai on February 17.
The region comprises 12 provinces (Ha Giang, LaoCai, Yen Bai, Lai Chau, Dien Bien, Son La, Hoa Binh, Cao Bang, Bac Kan, LangSon, Phu Tho and Tuyen Quang) and 21 western districts of central Thanh Hoa andNghe An provinces.
Over 62 percent of the region’s population of 11million are ethnic minorities.
The Steering Committee reported that the localmaterial and spiritual life continued to be improved last year thanks to theenforcement of many policies such as those on infrastructure building, medicaland educational services promotion, water supply, legal aid, and residentresettlement.
All communes in the region have also far beenaccessible by car while 92 percent of the households have been connected toelectricity.
However, transport infrastructure has yet tomeet the development demand, the committee admitted, adding that unplannedmigration still continued, involving nearly 4,500 households between 2011 and2016.
The Committee asked for help in manpowertraining and job provision, and more investment in transport facilities, especiallyroads connecting villages and linking communes with provincial and nationalroads. It also urged a law on ethnic groups to be built.
Chairman of the NA Ethnic Affairs Council HaNgoc Chien spoke highly of the committee’s efforts, stressing that thenorthwest remains the poorest region in Vietnam.
He requested the committee to review theeffectiveness of existing policies and programmes targeting mountainous regionsand ethnic minority groups, and suggest ideas about developing human resourcesand training ethnic minority officials.-VNA
Vocational training has been considered one of the important measures to reduce poverty in the northwestern region, heard a conference in Tuyen Quang province.
Permanent deputy head of the Steering Committee for the Northwestern Region Hau A Lenh and Health Minister Nguyen Thi Kim Tien signed a cooperation agreement in Hanoi on September 23.
Eight Tay Bac (northwestern mountainous) provinces enjoyed a year-on-year rise of 11.8 percent in the number of visitors in 2016 thanks to their close cooperation in tourism promotion.
The programmes have brought about positive changes to rural infrastructure, comprehensively improved the material and spiritual lives of farmers, and contributed to Vietnam's economic restructuring, said PM Pham Minh Chinh.
The festival highlighted the contributions and robust development of Vietnam's revolutionary press over the past century while promoting press products and showcasing the creativity of Vietnamese journalists.
The programme on sustainable poverty reduction has achieved its annual targets for reducing the poverty rate as assigned by the National Assembly and the Government. It has fulfilled five specific objectives and five five-year goals, and met nine out of 12 indicators related to addressing basic social service shortages.
UNICEF stands ready to support the Government in implementing this important law and in continuing to invest in teachers as the cornerstone of a resilient, inclusive, and high-quality education system for all children.
PM Pham Minh Chinh highlighted how Vietnam's revolutionary press has continuously evolved and strengthened over the past century, affirming its role as a sharp and vital political, cultural, and ideological weapon serving the Fatherland and the people in the glorious revolutionary cause of the Party.
Vietnamese Consul General in Fukuoka Vu Chi Mai highlighted the growing demand for Vietnamese workers in Kyushu, especially in Fukuoka, Oita, and Saga prefectures. Currently, the region employs about 35,000 Vietnamese manual workers and over 5,000 IT engineers.
In Vietnam’s case, she said, President Ho Chi Minh demonstrated his strategic vision by founding the revolutionary press a century ago. The late leader understood the press's role not only as a means to reflect the country’s realities but also as a powerful tool to strengthen national unity and inspire the resistance wars and national construction process.
In recent interviews granted to the Vietnam News Agency (VNA)'s reporters in Mexico, prominent figures reflected on the press’s legacy and its global influence.
VietnamPlus e-newspaper of the VNA clinched an A prize in the “Outstanding Press Product” category for its immersive 3D multimedia project, “Epic of Reunification,” a groundbreaking blend of storytelling and technology. The VNA won another A prize for its eye-catching exhibition booth.
Today, the press for foreign service has evolved into a distinct, irreplaceable force, bridging Vietnam with the world and portraying a nation that is stable, peace-loving, and fully integrated into the international community.
At a review conference held on June 21, Deputy Minister of Construction Nguyen Van Sinh praised the province’s scientific, coordinated, and flexible approach. He noted that the early completion reflects the strong commitment of local authorities, the business community, philanthropists, and residents in improving housing conditions for disadvantaged groups.
The VNA delegation, led by General Director Vu Viet Trang, actively participated in the event, engaging in both professional and diplomatic activities.
In the context where AI dominates and produces vast volumes of content, the only sustainable path forward for journalism is to focus on high-quality content and core values. Journalism must redefine its mission - not to report the fastest, but to provide the most profound and trustworthy value.
Granma and the VNA have great potential for cooperation, especially in sharing content regularly, so that VNA products are published on Granma platforms and vice versa, thereby helping Cuban and Vietnamese people access true information and gain a deep understanding of each other's country and people.
During his stay in China’s Guangzhou city from 1924 to 1927 to prepare for the establishment of a Communist Party to lead Vietnam’s revolution, President Ho Chi Minh founded “Thanh nien” newspaper and released its first issue on June 21, 1925.
Vietnam and Cambodia are hoped to strengthen their robust collaboration across various sectors, particularly in resolving remaining border issues to transform the border area into a zone of peace, friendship, cooperation, and development.
The strategic product, managed and operated by the Vietnam News Agency Digital Media Centre (VNA Media), is an official channel for popularising the Party and State’s information and documents as well as delivering mainstream and trustworthy news to both domestic and international audiences through various kinds of multimedia formats.
Since President Ho Chi Minh founded Thanh Nien (Young People) newspaper in 1925, the Vietnamese revolutionary press has become the voice of the people. During the resistance war against the colonialists, journalists took great personal risks to inspire patriotism and the will of rising up against foreign invaders.
The total investment exceeded 319 billion VND (12.2 million USD), including over 261 billion VND from the state budget and 57.5 billion VND mobilised from businesses, organisations, and individuals.
The working session between the Steering Committee for the Northwest Region and the National Assembly’s Council for Ethnic Affairs on February 17 (Photo: VNA) 
