Directive 16/2003/CT-TTg on socio-economic development program in communes meeting (Program 135)

DIRECTIVE

ENHANCING THE MANAGEMENT, DIRECTION AND ORGANIZATION OF IMPLEMENTATION OF SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM IN COMMUNES MEETING WITH EXCEPTIONAL DIFFICULTIES IN MOUNTAINOUS AREAS INHABITED BY ETHNIC MINORITY PEOPLE, BORDER AREAS AS WELL AS DEEP-LYING AND REMOTE AREAS (PROGRAM 135)

Over the past years, the ministries, branches and localities have actively directed and organized the implementation of Program 135. The Program has yielded important results, thus contributing to socio-economic development, enhancing unity among ethnic groups, strengthening defense, maintaining political security as well as social order and safety in communes meeting with exceptional difficulties in mountainous areas inhabited by ethnic minority people, border areas as well as deep-lying and remote areas of the country.

However, the implementation of the Program has still revealed some shortcomings: the investment in performing the 5 tasks of the Program has not yet been synchronous, largely in the task of infrastructure construction, while other tasks of the Program have not yet been given due attention; there have been various investment resources in the same locality but the management and incorporation thereof is still limited; not a few localities still heavily rely on and wait for investment capital from the central budget. Major principles for managing the Program have not yet been fully observed. The direction, examination and urging by ministries, central branches and Peoples Committees of all levels for the Program implementation in localities have been carried out irregularly and unstrictly, thus yielding incomprehensive and unsteady results.

In order to carry forward Program 135 with high efficiency and attain its objectives by 2005, the Prime Minister hereby instructs:

1. For the Peoples Committees of the provinces and centrally-run cities (called the provincial Peoples Committees for short):

a/ To concentrate efforts on directing and organizing the implementation of projects on construction of infrastructural works under Program 135, concretely:

- To fully observe the principles prescribed in Joint Circular No. 666/2001/TTLT/BKH-UBDTMN-TC-XD of August 23, 2001 of the Ministry of Planning and Investment, the Committee for Ethnic Minorities and Mountainous Areas, the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Construction guiding the management of investment and construction of infrastructural works under Program 135.

- In 2003 and subsequent years, priority should be given to investment in reclamation of virgin land in order to have land for households lacking production land or residential land and to serve the population relocation planning; to build medium- and small-sized irrigation works supplying water for production; schools and health stations must be built solidly and synchronously in terms of equipment, public-duty dwelling houses must be built for teachers and medical workers, depending on the characteristics and conditions of each locality, according to the model designs in order to reduce the costs thereof.

- To step up the decentralization of investment management to the district or commune level. The provincial- and district-level functional agencies shall have to provide assistance and guidance on investment, financial as well as professional and technical management for the commune level in order to ensure works quality and investment efficiency.

- From 2003 onwards, not to let happen the situation where the previous years capital for construction of works is left to the subsequent year (except for projects approved for implementation within 2 years); localities must take initiative in the elaboration, evaluation and approval of projects as well as making decisions on investment, which must be completed in the fourth quarter of the previous year, organize the investment right from the first month of the first quarter of the plan year.

b/ To concentrate efforts on training and fostering the commune, village and hamlet officials in socio-economic management; security and defense; organization and mobilization of people to carry out the hunger elimination and poverty alleviation; management, direction and organization of implementation of the Program; raising the capability of the contingent of officials so that communes are fully capable of acting as project investors; to provide professional training for the commune control boards so that they are fully capable of supervising the works from the stage of investment preparation, investment execution to the stage of settlement, pre-acceptance test and hand-over of works for being put into use.

c/ To enhance the direction and performance of the tasks of agricultural and forestry production development in combination with product processing and consumption; to take measures to help and create conditions for household and collective economies to develop; to formulate a number of small-scale models (households or household groups) regarding production development as well as agricultural and forestry product preservation, processing and consumption.

d/ To scrutinize the infrastructure construction in communes and commune clusters centers according to plannings and plans. For communes where infrastructural works are adequate, investment shall be concentrated directly on production development so that such communes have conditions to embark on a new stage of development with higher requirements.

For those communes covered by the Program, which have basically and firmly overcome hunger and poverty, the provincial Peoples Councils and Peoples Committees shall propose the recognition of achievement of the objectives of Program 135 by such communes.

e/ The presidents of the provincial Peoples Committees shall take active measures to direct all levels and branches in their respective provinces to mobilize and apportion resources and incorporate capital sources of other programs and projects in their respective localities into Program 135, especially the provinces in the Central Highlands, Mekong river delta, northern mountainous provinces meeting with exceptional difficulties, where the Prime Ministers decisions on socio-economic development in the 2001-2005 period are executed.

2. For the ministries and central branches:

a/ The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development shall direct the provincial Peoples Committees to step up the production of plant varieties and animal breeds (even the import thereof) with high economic efficiency, suitable to the natural conditions and restructuring of production of each locality in order to supply them to peasants. To support and guide peasants in preserving and processing agricultural, forestry and fishery products on the household- or household group- scale; diversify forms of producing and consuming farm produce for peasants; to step up the implementation of the Prime Ministers Decision No. 80/2002/QD-TTg of June 24, 2002 on policies to encourage the contractual sale of commodity farm produce.

b/ The Committee for Nationalities shall coordinate with the concerned ministries and branches as well as localities in performing the following tasks:

- To elaborate investment policy in support of socio-economic development in villages and hamlets meeting with exceptional difficulties in communes of Region II and submit it to the Prime Minister for approval in the fourth quarter of 2003.

- To issue a joint circular on criteria for evaluating the achievement of the objectives of Program 135 by communes and guide localities to implement them.

- To organize a conference to make a preliminary review of implementation of the plan in 2002 and the first 6 months of 2003 of Program 135 in North and South Vietnam, and at the same time, to prepare necessary contents for report to the Prime Minister for the organization of a conference to make a preliminary review of 5 years implementation of the Program in early 2004.

3. Examination of the implementation of Program 135:

- The examination of the Program implementation must be conduced regularly until the Program is completed; members of the Steering Committees of all levels must examine the grassroots levels at least once a year. At the end of examination drive, Steering Committees members must report on examination results to the Programs standing body of the same level for general sum-up and report to the superior level (the presidents of the district Peoples Committees, for districts, the presidents of the provincial Peoples Committees, for provinces, and the Prime Minister, for central level).

- The Committee for Nationalities shall have to elaborate contents of examination of Program 135 and guide localities to implement them; and at the same time, to assign members of the Central Steering Committee of Program 135 to examine the implementation of Program 135 in 2003 by the provinces.

The Committee for Nationalities shall have to fulfill the above-said tasks in July 2003.

4. The Prime Minister requests the ministers, the heads of the ministerial-level agencies, the heads of the agencies attached to the Government and the presidents of the Peoples Committees of the provinces and centrally-run cities, based on their respective functions and tasks, to direct and organize the strict implementation of this Directive.