Answering the question by Hanoi representative Vu Thi Luu Mai on a number of documents that do not match the regulations of the law, Lenh admitted that there are still conflicts and overlapping in documents guiding the implementation of policies to encourage investment in ethnic minority-inhabited areas.
The Government has asked ministries and sectors to review all the documents to ensure that they are coherent and suitable with legal regulations, he said, adding that ministries and agencies have completed the work.
Responding to a question on criteria to define mountainous areas, Lenh said that the committee is working on a new set of criteria with major foundation of terrain, administrative border and level of development to make suitable investment in the new period. It will submit a report on the work to the NA Standing committee in September, he said.
Over the concerns of Lang Son representative Chu Thi Hong Thai on whether the current policies are strong enough to encourage residents in border areas, mostly from ethnic minority groups, to stay there and attract labourers to the areas, Lenh said that despite the Party and State’s great attention to border areas in 25 border localities, the socio-economic situation in border communes and districts has remained difficult.
He said that stronger policies are needed to improve the living conditions of border communities in the coming time, along with the reviewing of the implementation of a Politburo’s resolution on strategy on national border protection to design more suitable policies, focusing on infrastructure systems and livelihoods for the communities.
Agreeing with Quang Nam representative Phan Thai Binh on the necessity to design mechanisms and policies to attract investment to ethnic minority-inhabited areas, Lenh said that he hopes localities will stick to central policies to offer incentives to investors, encouraging them to invest in such areas to create more jobs.
