Harvesting coffee in Dak Lak province (Illustrative image. Source: VNA)Dak Lak (VNA) – The Central Highlands should mull over its socio-economic development plan for the remaining months of this year to ensure sustainable development, an official said at a conference in Dak Lak province on July 30.
Politburo member To Lam, Minister of Public Security and Head of the Steering Committee for the Central Highlands Region, urged ministries and regional localities to seriously implement the Prime Minister’s decision on forest management and protection, closure of natural forests, and sustainable forest restoration.
The Steering Committee needs to seek the PM’s approval for an irrigation development plan, as well as propose the National Assembly Standing Committee and the PM add more Government bonds to help the region improve key transport projects, including highways, he said.
He called on ministries, agencies and Central Highlands localities to pilot a mechanism on regional connectivity in several fields while implementing effectively the second phase of a public health care project in 2014-2019 and suggested the PM issue new policies to develop education and vocational training in the region and its neighouring mountainous districts.
The Central Highlands should better social welfares for families who rendered service to the nation in addition to improving vocational training for rural workers to serve sustainable poverty reduction efforts, he suggested.
In the first six months of 2016, the region maintained a year-on-year gross domestic product (GDP) growth of 6 percent despite the impacts of prolonged drought – which caused economic loss of over 5.4 trillion VND (243 million USD).
One district and 80 communes in the region have been recognised as new-style rural areas.
The Central Highlands is comprised of five provinces: Dak Lak, Dak Nong, Gia Lai, Kon Tum and Lam Dong.-VNA
