Program 135 designed for extremely-disadvantaged communes has brought new looks to impoverished communes, but drawbacks remain, Minister-Chairman of the Committee for Ethnic Affairs Giang Seo Phu told the National Assembly Standing Committee during a question-and-answer session in Hanoi on March 13. Launched in 1999, the program has gone through three major stages, he said, adding that, it still meets difficulties caused by severe weather conditions and difficult access. In particular, the delay and lack of funding to the program seriously hinder the progress of projects. The minister said designing medium- and long-term financing plans for the program for the 2016-2020 period and beyond will help address this problem. He proposed streamlining the agencies involved in making policies for ethnic minority groups, while underlining the role of local authorities in implementing projects and plans. At the session, he also clarified issues involving resettlement in disaster-prone areas, free immigration, vocational training, housing and production land for ethnic groups. (vietnamplus.vn Mar 13)
