More than VND9.66 trillion ($308.46 million) from the central budget has been allocated to Vietnam’s localities this year to implement the 2021-2025 national target program on new-style rural area development.
The Ministry of Finance reported that most of the target localities have completed their disbursement, and that it is working on necessary procedures to seek the National Assembly (NA) Standing Committee’s approval of the detailed allocation of VND369.56 billion in recurrent expenditure for 2024 to ministries and centrally-run agencies.
Statistics show that the total central budget earmarked during the 2021–2024 period stands at VND32.265 trillion, meeting 77.4% of the funding target set for 2021–2025.
As of the end of June, over VND2.8 quadrillion had been mobilized nationwide in support of the program, with around VND297.45 trillion soured directly from the state budget.
However, the Government said localities with many disadvantaged communes and districts like Ha Giang, Cao Bang, Bac Kan, Son La, Dien Bien, and Kon Tum find it hard to balance or allocate sufficient local budget funds or mobilize other resources to implement the program.
Additionally, some others have yet to take proactive steps in investment preparation, and their annual planning yet to align with the reality, leading to multiple adjustments during the implementation, thus hindering the disbursement work.
Under the program, at least 80% of communes nationwide are expected to be recognized as new-style rural areas by 2025, around 40% of them projected to win the advanced new-style rural area title, and 10% exemplary new-style rural areas.
Notably, the average income of rural residents will increase by at least 1.5-fold compared with 2020.
Meanwhile, half of cities and districts will secure the new-rural area title and fulfil the target of new-style rural area building, with 20% to reach the advanced and model levels. (VietnamPlus [1])