NA Vice Chairwoman says ethnic minority groups are a priority

HÀ NỘI — Vice Chairwoman of the National Assembly Tòng Thị Phóng has said the Vietnamese Party and State give priority to providing care for ethnic minority groups in remote, mountainous and extremely disadvantaged areas.

She made the statement at a conference in Hà Nội yesterday to announce the World Bank (WB)’s study on factors impacting socio-economic development in ethnic minority regions in Việt Nam.The legislator said investment in ethnic and mountainous areas has produced remarkable outcomes, including higher economic growth and improved essential infrastructure facilities such as roads, electricity, schools, clinics and irrigation.However, she admitted that due to severe natural conditions, ethnic minority groups still find it hard to settle down while their access to health care, education, insurance and information remains limited.To meet development demand in the new period, the NA Vice Chairwoman said the Party and State have made ethnic affairs a basic, long-term, urgent strategic issue and the task of the entire Party, armed forces, people and political system.In this context, research outcomes of the study commissioned by the WB and partners, especially those regarding infrastructure, economic and market connectivity, employment, education, health care, local governance capacity along with policy recommendations well served the concern of the Vietnamese NA, Phóng said.  Expressing his respect for Việt Nam’s poverty reduction to below 10 per cent from nearly 60 per cent, the WB Country Director in Việt Nam Ousmane Dione said it is a good time for the Vietnamese NA and Government to eye a new strategy to address new challenges, and the new national target programme on ethnic minorities will provide a suitable foundation to deal with poverty reduction challenges.Participants at the event discussed driving forces of socio-economic development in ethnic minority regions, and got updated on poverty reduction, and human resources development there, among others. — VNS