The National Assembly’s Council of Ethnic Affairs has proposed issuing a new set of criteria for delimitation of ethnic minority and mountainous areas in service of bettering the making of policies for the regions. During a conference held in Hanoi on December 26 to review the enforcement of the NA’s resolution on socio-economic development in ethnic minority and mountainous regions, the council reported that the political security, socio-economic situation and social safety and order in ethnic minority and mountainous regions have been basically stable. However, several localities faced difficulties due to natural disasters, flooding, climate change, drought and saline intrusion, particularly in Yen Bai, Lai Chau, Lao Cai, Son La and Mekong Delta localities. Vice Chairman of the NA Council of Ethnic Affairs Nguyen Lam Thanh said socio-economic programs under the watch of the council cost upwards of 4.5 trillion VND (200 million USD) this year, but disbursement reached only 46% as of September 2017. NA deputy Dinh Duy Vuot from Gia Lai said policies and projects in ethnic minority and mountainous regions overlap and are inappropriate for different ethnic groups and regions. This year, the council oversaw a project to delineate ethnic and mountainous regions according to development level, laying a foundation for issuing policies in line with the Law on State Budget, Law on Investment and the Law on Organization of Local Administration. Concluding the event, NA Vice Chairwoman Tong Thi Phong asked the council to continue offering feedback on poverty reduction policies, and effectively implement the Program 135 on developing villages, hamlets and communes in difficult situations. Ministries, agencies and localities were asked to work with the council and the Government’s Committee on Ethnic Minority Affairs to monitor the implementation of ethnic minority policies. (english.vov.vn Dec 27)
