Thai Nguyen province has always proactively allocated resources, exceeding the counterpart budget for many years, to invest in the development of ethnic minorities and mountainous areas.

In Lan Dam hamlet, Quang Son commune (Dong Hy), thanks to funding from the National Target Program 1719, the main road has been upgraded and widened from 2m to 3.5m, with a cost of 215 million VND. Along with that, the centralized domestic water project has been renovated and upgraded, ensuring a daily supply of domestic water.

Mr. Duong Van Vang, a resident of Lan Dam hamlet, said: "The Mong people are very excited to receive attention and investment from the State. The projects have opened up opportunities for economic development, poverty reduction, and significantly improved the quality of life."

Along with Lan Dam, many hamlets and villages in mountainous and highland areas of Thai Nguyen province have also received attention and investment in building essential infrastructure, contributing to improving the quality of life for the people. From 2021 to now, the province has invested 518.8 billion VND in essential infrastructure for production and daily life in ethnic minority areas, of which the local counterpart budget is 67.8 billion VND. Along with that, nearly 244 billion VND has been allocated to address the shortage of residential land, housing, production land, and domestic water, of which the provincial budget allocated nearly 32 billion VND. In addition, Thai Nguyen has implemented planning and stable resettlement of residents with a total investment of over 90 billion VND; invested 374.4 billion VND in sustainable agricultural and forestry development and commodity production according to value chains, of which the province contributed nearly 49 billion VND. The above figures show the outstanding efforts of Thai Nguyen province in prioritizing resources for investment in ethnic minority areas.

The synchronous implementation of the objectives in the National Target Program 1719 not only improves the quality of life but also contributes to preserving ethnic cultural identity and maintaining political security and social order and safety in strategic areas.

Mr. Phan Thanh Ha, Director of the Department of Ethnic Affairs and Religion, said: The local budget allocated for projects under the National Target Program 1719 has always met and exceeded the plan. Domestic water supply projects, transportation infrastructure, and irrigation canals have and are promoting clear effectiveness, creating conditions for people to develop production and stabilize their lives.

Not only focusing on infrastructure investment, Thai Nguyen also sets specific goals: By the end of 2025, the average income of ethnic minorities will double compared to 2020; the poverty rate will decrease by an average of 2%/year; the number of extremely difficult communes and hamlets will decrease by 50%; 96% of people in mountainous and highland areas will have access to hygienic water; the system of boarding and semi-boarding schools will be completed; the rate of 8% of ethnic minority students studying in ethnic boarding schools will be maintained... The synchronous implementation of the objectives in the National Target Program 1719 not only improves the quality of life but also contributes to preserving ethnic cultural identity and maintaining political security and social order and safety in strategic areas. With high determination and close direction from the province to the grassroots level, the Program is bringing positive changes, creating a strong driving force for ethnic minority areas on the journey of sustainable and comprehensive development.