Building new-style rural areas in ethnic minority communities

The year 2026 marks the first year of implementing the the National Target Program on New-style Rural Area Development, Sustainable Poverty Reduction and Socio-economic Development in Ethnic Minority and Mountainous Areas for the 2026-2035 period (hereinafter referred to as the Program).

Ethnic minority women in Bu Gia Map Commune weave brocade. Photo: Binh Nguyen

The program merges three previously separate national target programs —new-style rural development, sustainable poverty reduction, and socio-economic development in ethnic minority and mountainous regions—into a unified framework aimed at streamlining resources, reducing overlaps, and improving implementation efficiency.

New features

As the program enters its first year of implementation, priority is being given to completing institutional reforms, strengthening organizational structures, and preparing implementation plans and resources. Many tasks that directly affect infrastructure, livelihoods, income generation, poverty reduction, and the development of ethnic minority and mountainous areas are currently under preparation or in early stages of implementation.

Speaking at an online conference of the National Steering Committee on July 6, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Nguyen Hoang Hiep said that the institutional framework, policy mechanisms, and implementation guidelines for the Program were basically completed, with 54 documents issued during the first six months of 2026, creating a comprehensive legal framework for ministries, agencies, and local governments to carry out the program. An implementation handbook has also been published, while most provinces and cities have established provincial-level steering committees.

Deputy Prime Minister Ho Quoc Dung said evaluation of the program would shift from measuring inputs to assessing tangible outcomes. Key performance indicators will include implementation progress, public investment disbursement rates, efficiency in the use of funding, improvements in people’s income, their living standards, and the long-term sustainability of projects.

One of the program's new points is stronger decentralization and delegation of authority. The Central Government will focus on setting objectives, formulating policies, and  supervising implementation, while local authorities will be empowered to make decisions and act more proactively under the principle of “localities decide, localities implement and localities take responsibility.” The national criteria for new-style rural areas are also being streamlined from 19 groups of criteria to 10. Poverty standards are being updated to better reflect living conditions and accessibility to essential public services. Funding is prioritized based on the degree of difficulty, with financial sources integrated to prevent fragmentation and duplication, while avoiding placing excessive financial burdens on local residents.

The integration of the three previous national target programs into one has significantly increased investment resources of the new program. For the 2026-2030 period, the total state budget allocated to the new program is estimated at approximately VND423 trillion, including about VND100 trillion from the central government, VND300 trillion from local governments, with the remainder financed through policy credit programs. Priority funding will be directed toward especially disadvantaged communes, safe zone communes, border and island communes, and communes in ethnic minority and mountainous regions.

Dong Nai pursues ambitious rural development goals

The integrated program aims to build modern, sustainable rural areas, comprehensively develop ethnic minority and mountainous areas, and implement multi-dimensional poverty reduction to ensure social welfare. It also aims to develop the rural economy toward green and circular directions, linked with restructuring the agricultural sector to raise incomes, improve the quality of life, and narrow the development gap between regions. Priority is given to criteria on access to domestic water, sustainable livelihoods, poverty reduction, preservation of cultural identity, and national defense and security.

By 2030,  the whole country aims to have approximately 65% of communes recognized as meeting new-style rural standards, with 10% achieving advanced new-style rural status. Five provinces or cities are expected to complete the national new-style rural development program. Nationwide multidimensional poverty is targeted to decline by 1-1.5% annually, while the poverty rate among ethnic minority and mountainous communities is expected to fall below 10%.

Dong Nai faces several challenges in implementing the program. Ethnic minority and mountainous communities account for 9.4% of the city's population, while overlapping bauxite mining and forest land-use planning in several communes has complicated the investment in standardized infrastructure development. Rural areas also continue to face shortages of skilled workers and digital infrastructure, while the capacity to mobilize private investment remains limited in some communes.

Nevertheless, building on its strong track record as a leading locality in new-style rural development, advanced new-style rural development, and model new-style rural areas, Dong Nai continues to set high targets. By 2030, the city aims for 100% of its communes to achieve new-style rural status, with at least 10 communes attaining advanced new-style rural recognition. In 2026 alone, at least six communes are expected to meet new-style rural standards. The city also plans to reduce the rate of poor households by 1-1.5% annually and, by 2030, eliminate all Category A poor households while ensuring that no commune or village remains classified as especially disadvantaged.

Nguyen Thi Hoang, Member of the Dong Nai Party Committee, Vice Chairwoman of the City People's Committee, said the city views its implementation of the program not only as a means of achieving new-style rural development, poverty reduction, and ethnic minority development targets, but also as a key driver of rural economic growth, improved living standards, stronger social welfare, and  the achievement of the city's double-digit economic growth target.

During the 2026-2030 period, alongside implementing Central Government policies, Dong Nai plans to introduce local mechanisms to strengthen production linkages, expand the One Commune One Product (OCOP) program, improve access to agricultural credit, support safe agricultural production, and reinforce monitoring and oversight to ensure openness and transparency in the management and use of the program resources.

By Binh Nguyen - Translated by Mai Nga, Thu Ha