He also calledfor greater policy support from the Steering Committee for theSouthwestern Region for new rural area development, hunger eradicationand poverty reduction.
In a working session on April 5 with thecommittee in charge of social and economic development in thesouthwestern region held in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho, Phu alsohighlighted the importance of improving education levels among ethnicminority communities.
Land policies should also be adjusted to meet local requirements, he added.
HaHuu Lien, head of the steering committee's department for ethnic andreligious affairs, said that the southwestern region comprised of 1.4million ethnic minority people, accounting for 8 percent of the region'spopulation, with 12 religions.
Lien said that the rate of poorhouseholds among ethnic minorities had decreased from 36.6 percent in2011 to 16.47 percent in 2014.
The ethnic minority people have gained achievements in economic development and education, he said.-VNA