(VOVworld) – Mau Due is one of 4 focal communes for new rural development in Yen Minh district, Ha Giang province. This mountainous border commune has completed 13 of the national new rural development program’s 19 criteria, and intends to fulfil all of the criteria by the end of this year. This progress is attributable to local people’s unified commitment to new rural development.  VOV’s Vinh Phong reports…

Mau Due’s Coc Nai hamlet has been selected as an exemplary hamlet to implement the national new rural development program. Coc Nai has already completed 13 of the program’s criteria. Nguyen Van Dien, a resident of Coc Nai says the unity of local authorities and residents boosts local new rural development: "Thanks to the national new rural development program we now travel on new roads. It has become much easier for us to go the fields, harvest our products, and transport them home. The local living conditions have improved significantly."

Nguyen Van Mau, Chairman of the Mau Due communal People’s Committee, attributed this success to the local government’s communications activities to make sure local residents, most of whom are ethnic people, understand the national new rural development program’s importance. He said: "We’ve organized meetings and broadcast messages via public loudspeakers to encourage the local people to get involved in the program. With the people’s support, it’s much easier and quicker to realize the program’s criteria, like upgrading the local infrastructure and keeping the environment clean and green."

Hoang The Dong, Deputy Chairman of the Mau Due communal People’s Committee, said that at the meetings, local people were given information on how to boost their farm production. Mau Due’s poverty rate has fallen to 13% with an annual per capita income of 650 USD. Dong said: "We’ve succeeded in persuading the local people to make full use of what they own to somehow contribute to the program’s implementation and achieve significant results without asking for support from the central government. The program’s success lies in people’s acknowledgement of the program’s importance and their willingness to contribute to it."

Mau Due aims to become the first commune to complete all the criteria of the national new rural development program.