Manh asked the officials to double-check investment policies and implementation processes to adjust the province’s socioeconomic plan.

In forestry, the party leader ordered the province to develop excentrodendron forests to improve living conditions for ethnic minorities in the area. In the future, the province needs to allocate forests to households and implement policies to help residents plant and protect the forests, he said.

Along with socio-economic development, Manh also asked provincial officials to pay special attention to building up the party, the Fatherland Front, mass organizations and strengthening party organizations in mountainous and isolated areas.

Manh acknowledged the enormous changes in the province’s rural and urban transport infrastructure, education, healthcare and living conditions of ethnic minority people.

This year, the province harvested more than 151,000 tons of cooking, 19.2 percent more than last year, amounting to 490.4 kilograms per capita, 15.7 percent more than last year. In the same period, the rate of poor households dropped by more than 20 percent.

Next year, the province plans to increase its economy by 20 percent over this year. Sector targets include boosting earnings from forestry and agriculture by 7 percent, industry by 50 percent and services by 22 percent. It also set a target for an annual per-capita income of VND8.5 million (US$500).

Source: VNA