As many as 2,720 communes, or 30.48 percent of the country’s total, have been recognised as new style rural areas as of the end of May 2017, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD).
The figure showed an increase of 389 communes since the end of 2016. Meanwhile, 34 districts nationwide have received the title, with four newly-recognised districts this year.
On national-scale average, a commune has met 13.8 categories out of the overall 19 criteria on socio-economic development, politics and defence in order to be recognised as a new style rural area.
To accelerate the programme, the MARD has submitted to the Prime Minister a pilot project on environment protection in building new style rural areas in disadvantaged localities, border and island communes in 2017-2020.
A significant goal of the project is to build clean water supply and garbage treatment models.
The ministry has also completed a guidebook on how to implement the new-style rural area criteria in 2017-2020.
The national programme on building new-style rural areas was initiated by the Government in 2010. It sets out 19 criteria, ranging from infrastructure development, production capacity improvement, environmental protection and cultural value promotion.
