PM asks Bac Kan to consider poverty reduction a political task

PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc speaks at the working session with key leaders of Bac Kan

At a working session with the Standing Board of the provincial Party Committee in Bac Kan on November 19, the PM pointed out that the province’s multi-dimensional poverty rate stands at 26 per cent, which remains high compared with the national average.

Attention should be paid to forestation, husbandry and medicinal plant cultivation in order to spur growth and raise the living standards of locals, he said.

The leader noted that the first task is to review the province’s socio-economic targets in 2017, while striving to complete major objectives, especially growth and budget collection targets. The long-term task is to select outstanding products for mass production.

PM Phuc gave approval to the locality to open the Cho Moi (Moi market) – Bac Kan expressway and assigned the Ministry of Transport to submit the project to the leader for approval.

He requested that Bac Kan and the relevant ministries work on measures to fully tap the tourism potential of Ba Be lake.

The same day, the PM joined the local residents of Tan Thanh hamlet, Bac Kan city’s Nong Thuong commune, in the great national unity festival, an annual event held nationwide to mark the founding anniversary of the Vietnam Fatherland Front (November 18, 1930).

He took note of the attainments of the Party Committee and authorities of Bac Kan province, Bac Kan city and Tan Thanh commune, while hoping that the local residents exert more efforts for their locality’s development.

He highlighted the important role of the Vietnam Fatherland Front at all levels in gathering people in implementing the Party and State’s policies, the new rural-style area building programme, and caring for needy people.

Bac Kan is home to seven ethnic groups of Tay, Nung, Kinh, Dao, Mong, Hoa and San Chay, with ethnic minorities accounting for more than 80 per cent of its total population.

The province’s state budget collection in the first ten months of this year was estimated at VND560 billion (US$24.64 million), fulfilling 94 per cent of the set target.

Its gross regional domestic product (GRDP) per capita in 2017 was approximately VND26 million, up VND1.2 million against 2016.