At the event (Source: nhandan.com.vn) Hanoi (VNA) – The Government’s Committee forEthnic Affairs and the Irish Embassy in Hanoi held a national symposium onJanuary 3 on ethnic policy and orientations towards building it for the2021-2030 period.
Speaking at the event, Minister and Chairman of thecommittee Do Van Chien said Vietnam is home to 54 ethnic groups – including 53ethnic minorities that make up 14.6 million people, accounting for over 14percent of the total population. These minority groups live mostly inmountainous and border areas, including 5,266 communes, 548 districts, and 51cities and provinces.
Since 2016, the Government and Prime Minister have issued 14documents regarding priorities to socio-economic development in ethnic andmountainous areas, including 15 ethnic policies. Up to 54 policies onsocio-economic development in mountainous and ethnic areas have remained valid.However, unemployment, poverty, natural disasters, and diseases still pose gravechallenges to such areas.
Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh affirmedthat the Party and State has always paid attention to development in mountainousand ethnic areas, considering it a key task in building great national unityand sustainable development.
He said that over the years, ethnic policies have improvedin accordance with common development orientations, especially in education,healthcare, sustainable poverty reduction, social progress, and equality.
Binh admitted that cooperation among ministries and agenciesin policy building and implementation remains limited, while many localitiesmeet difficulties in pooling and allocating resources.
According to him, the average income of ethnic minoritygroups is equivalent to 40-50 percent of the regional average. The rate of poorhouseholds in ethnic minority areas accounts for 52.7 percent of the totalnationwide. The quality of education, healthcare, and cultural facilities isstill poor, while access to social services is hard. About 21 percent of thoseaged above 15 are unable to read and write the Vietnamese language fluently. Thoughhealth insurance coverage is high, the rate of health check-ups and treatmentis low.
Former Chairman of the committee Ksor Phuoc and formerDirector of the Institute of Policy and Strategy for Agriculture and RuralDevelopment Dang Kim Son suggested that ethnic policies focus on localities’advantages.
Chairman Chien, for his part, called attention to the needto increase investment in poorer communes.
Deputy PM Binh asked the committee, ministries, agencies,localities, scientists, and experts to give a full review of ethnic policiesfor the 2016-2018 period that look into ethnic minorities’ income; livelihood;and their access to culture, education, and healthcare.
Deputy head of the Department of Development under the IrishEmbassy Reachbha FitzGerald proposed that national capital should be allocatedas soon as possible to ensure effective implementation, full participation fromall walks of life, and accountability of parties concerned.
Communities’ active involvement should be encouraged in proposing,choosing, designing, building, operating, and maintaining infrastructure works,she said. –VNA
Speaking at the event, Minister and Chairman of thecommittee Do Van Chien said Vietnam is home to 54 ethnic groups – including 53ethnic minorities that make up 14.6 million people, accounting for over 14percent of the total population. These minority groups live mostly inmountainous and border areas, including 5,266 communes, 548 districts, and 51cities and provinces.
Since 2016, the Government and Prime Minister have issued 14documents regarding priorities to socio-economic development in ethnic andmountainous areas, including 15 ethnic policies. Up to 54 policies onsocio-economic development in mountainous and ethnic areas have remained valid.However, unemployment, poverty, natural disasters, and diseases still pose gravechallenges to such areas.
Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh affirmedthat the Party and State has always paid attention to development in mountainousand ethnic areas, considering it a key task in building great national unityand sustainable development.
He said that over the years, ethnic policies have improvedin accordance with common development orientations, especially in education,healthcare, sustainable poverty reduction, social progress, and equality.
Binh admitted that cooperation among ministries and agenciesin policy building and implementation remains limited, while many localitiesmeet difficulties in pooling and allocating resources.
According to him, the average income of ethnic minoritygroups is equivalent to 40-50 percent of the regional average. The rate of poorhouseholds in ethnic minority areas accounts for 52.7 percent of the totalnationwide. The quality of education, healthcare, and cultural facilities isstill poor, while access to social services is hard. About 21 percent of thoseaged above 15 are unable to read and write the Vietnamese language fluently. Thoughhealth insurance coverage is high, the rate of health check-ups and treatmentis low.
Former Chairman of the committee Ksor Phuoc and formerDirector of the Institute of Policy and Strategy for Agriculture and RuralDevelopment Dang Kim Son suggested that ethnic policies focus on localities’advantages.
Chairman Chien, for his part, called attention to the needto increase investment in poorer communes.
Deputy PM Binh asked the committee, ministries, agencies,localities, scientists, and experts to give a full review of ethnic policiesfor the 2016-2018 period that look into ethnic minorities’ income; livelihood;and their access to culture, education, and healthcare.
Deputy head of the Department of Development under the IrishEmbassy Reachbha FitzGerald proposed that national capital should be allocatedas soon as possible to ensure effective implementation, full participation fromall walks of life, and accountability of parties concerned.
Communities’ active involvement should be encouraged in proposing,choosing, designing, building, operating, and maintaining infrastructure works,she said. –VNA
VNA
