Directive No. 16/2003/CT-TTg on Strengthening Management, Guidance, and Implementation of the Socio-Economic Development Program for Particularly Difficult Communes in Ethnic Minority Mountainous Areas, Border Regions, and Remote Areas (Program 135).

DIRECTIVE

Regarding the strengthening of management, guidance, and organization of implementation of the program

for socio-economic development in particularly difficult communes of ethnic minorities in mountainous areas, border regions, and remote areas (Program 135)

In recent years, ministries, sectors, and localities have actively directed and organized the implementation of Program 135. The program has achieved significant results, contributing to economic and social development, enhancing ethnic solidarity, reinforcing national defense, maintaining political security, and social order and safety in particularly difficult communes of ethnic minorities in mountainous areas, border regions, and remote areas of the country.

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However, the implementation of the program still reveals some shortcomings: investment in the five tasks of the program is not synchronized, with a heavy focus on infrastructure construction, other tasks of the program have not been adequately invested; there are many resources invested in the same area but the integration management and operation are limited; many localities still rely and wait for central budget investment. The main principles of program management have not been fully implemented. The guidance, inspection, and urging work of central ministries and sectors, and people's committees at all levels regarding the implementation of the program in localities have not been regular and thorough. Therefore, the results achieved have not been comprehensive and solid.

To implement Program 135 effectively and achieve its goals by 2005, the Prime Minister issues the following directive:

1. For provincial people's committees (referred to as provincial people's committee):

a. Focus on directing and organizing the effective implementation of projects to construct infrastructure works under Program 135, specifically:

- Fully implement the principles stipulated in Circular Joint No. 666/2001/TTLT-BKH-UBDTMN-TC-XD dated 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 on guiding investment management and construction of infrastructure works under Program 135.

- In 2003 and subsequent years, prioritize investment in land reclamation to provide land for households lacking production and residential land and to serve the planning of population resettlement; construction of small and medium-sized water conservancy works to supply water for production; schools and health stations must be built solidly and comprehensively equipped, including housing for teachers and healthcare staff, according to the specific conditions of each locality to implement model designs to reduce costs.

- Promote decentralization to district or commune level for investment management decisions. Provincial and district functional agencies bear the responsibility to assist and guide commune-level agencies in investment management, financial management, and technical expertise to ensure the quality of works and investment effectiveness.

- From 2003 onwards, avoid the situation where construction funds from the previous year are carried over to the next year (except for projects approved for implementation over two years); localities must proactively establish, review, approve projects, and make investment decisions to complete them in the fourth quarter of the previous year, organize immediate implementation of investments starting from the first month of the first quarter of the planning year.

b. Focus on training and enhancing commune, village, hamlet, phum, and sóc cadres in the following areas: economic and social management; national defense and security; mobilizing and organizing the people to eliminate poverty; managing, directing, and implementing the program; improving the capacity of the cadre team so that communes can take charge of project investment; training the commune supervision board to monitor projects from the investment preparation stage through implementation, settlement, acceptance, and handover for use.

c. Strengthen guidance and implementation of tasks related to agricultural and forestry production development linked to processing and marketing; adopt measures to support and create conditions for household and collective economies to develop; build some model projects at a small scale (household or group of households) concerning production development, preservation, processing, and marketing of agricultural and forestry products.

d. Conduct a review of infrastructure construction in communes and commune centers according to plans and programs. Communes that already have sufficient infrastructure should focus on direct investment in production development to enable these communes to transition to a new phase of development with higher requirements.

Communes within the program that have fundamentally and firmly overcome poverty should be recognized by the People's Council and the People's Committee of the province as having achieved the Program 135 objectives.

đ. The Chairman of the provincial people's committee shall take positive measures to direct all levels and sectors in the province to mobilize and allocate resources, integrate funds from other programs and projects on the territory with Program 135, especially provinces in the Northwest, Mekong Delta, and Northern Mountainous Region which are implementing the Prime Minister's decisions on socio-economic development for the period 2001-2005.

2. For central ministries and sectors:

a. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development shall direct provincial people's committees to promote the production of high-yield crop and livestock breeds (including imported breeds) suitable to natural conditions and the restructuring of production structures in each locality to supply farmers. Support and guide farmers in the preservation and processing of agricultural, forestry, and fishery products at household and group levels; diversify organizational forms of production and marketing for farmers; accelerate the implementation of Decision No. 80/2002/QĐ-TTg dated June 24, 2002, of the Prime Minister on policies encouraging the sale of agricultural products through contracts.

b. The Committee for Ethnic Minorities shall cooperate with relevant ministries, sectors, and localities to implement the following tasks:

- Develop investment support policies for socio-economic development in particularly difficult villages and hamlets in Zone II communes to be submitted for approval by the Prime Minister in the fourth quarter of 2003.

- Develop a joint circular on criteria for evaluating communes that have completed the Program 135 objectives, guiding localities in their implementation.

- To draft the Joint Circular on criteria for evaluating communes that have completed the objectives of Program 135, and to guide localities in implementation.

- Organize a mid-year review meeting for the implementation of the 2002 plan and the first six months of 2003 of Program 135 in the Northern and Southern regions, and at the same time prepare necessary contents to report to the Prime Minister for organizing a five-year review meeting for the implementation of the Program at the beginning of 2004.

3. Inspection work for the implementation of Program 135:

- Inspection work for the implementation of the program must be carried out regularly until the end of the program. Members of the Steering Committee at all levels must inspect facilities at least once a year. At the end of each inspection period, members of the Steering Committee must report the results of the inspection to the competent authority of the program at the same level for consolidation and reporting to higher authorities (at the district level report to the District Chairman, at the provincial level report to the Provincial Chairman, at the central level report to the Prime Minister).

- The National Ethnic Committee is responsible for developing the content of inspections for Program 135 and guiding localities in its implementation; at the same time, it assigns members of the Central Steering Committee of Program 135 to inspect provinces implementing Program 135 in 2003.

The above tasks shall be completed by the National Ethnic Committee in July 2003.

4. The Prime Minister requests Ministers, Heads of ministerial-level agencies, Heads of agencies under the Government, Chairmen of People's Committees of provinces and centrally governed cities to strictly direct and organize the implementation of this Directive based on their functions and responsibilities./.