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Committee applauds decade of growth in Central Highlands
A committee that oversees the development of the Central Highlands has hailed the region's tremendous socio-economic achievements in the decade since 2001.
The Central Highlands Steering Committee, chaired by the Minister of Public Security, was reviewing a decade of implementing the Politburo's Resolution No.10 on socio-economic development and security in the region's five provinces at a conference held in Buon Ma Thuot city on Monday.
It agreed that the region transformed dramatically in the period from being a stagnant agrarian economy into a multi-sector economy of increasing size and quality.
The economy has grown 2.8 times since 2001, or 11.9 per cent a year on average.
The average income per capita has skyrocketed from VND2.9 million to VND15.5 million.
Education and training has grown strongly, with many universities, colleges, vocational schools, and schools for disabled children being established.
Every commune has a kindergarten, primary school, and health centre, and every child goes to primary school.
Nearly 1 million jobs have been created, including more than 180,000 for ethnic minority people. The urban unemployment rate has dropped to 2.5 per cent.
With nearly 111,000 households climbing above the poverty line, the poverty rate has fallen to just 10.34 percent. Among ethnic minorities, it has dropped from 47.8 per cent in 2006 to 19.9 percent now.
The region is home to two first-tier cities and has established two cities and four towns in the period.
Infrastructure has improved in both urban and rural areas, with 91 per cent of communes having roads leading to the main road and 98 percent of hamlets having access to the national power grid.
The meeting also dwelled on the shortcomings, including a deteriorating transport infrastructure, deforestation, poorly planned hydroelectric plants, and the depletion of groundwater.
The quality of human resources remains low and while the poverty rate has declined sharply, the number of households sliding back into poverty is high.
Nie Thuat, secretary and chairman of the Dak Lak People's Council, called for upgrading National Highway No.27, opening a railway route to the region, and building large irrigation projects.
Tran Quoc Huy, Secretary of Dak Nong, wanted the entire length of National Highway No.27 to be upgraded and upstream forests protected to retain water.
Pham Dinh Thu, Deputy Secretary and chairman of the Gia Lai People's Council, said investments in the region remained small and not targeted.
Tran Viet Hung, Deputy Head of the Committee, said the alleviation of poverty among ethnic minorities remained the main and urgent task and it needed effective measures.
Rural infrastructure like roads and electricity and water supply, education, healthcare, and other services needed to be improved further, he said.
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