Long An province’s Hoa Phu commune decided to spend its reward of 15,000 USD for successfully completing all criteria of a national new rural development program on expanding and paving local roads. Thanks to this, the roads leading to Nguyen Van Ut’s house in hamlet 4 were paved just before Tet. Ut told VOV: "In the past, roads used to be very dusty on sunny days and muddy on rainy days. Paved roads make it easier for local people to travel and transport agricultural products. We all support this idea. Some even donated land, labor, and money to this effort."

People in Hoa Phu joint the local government's efforts to upgrade local roads

People grow flowers and bonsai trees along canals beside the roads, and try to keep their environment green and clean, said Bui Van Hon, Chairman of the Hoa Phu communal People’s Committee: "We’ve learned that to make the national new rural development program a success, we have to ensure that the implementation is understood, discussed, and supervised by local people. We’ll get their full support once they understand that they ultimately will benefit from this program."

Duong Xuan Hoi was among Long An’s first communes to complete all criteria of the national new rural development program. Today, visitors to Duong Xuan Hoi commune find vast fields of blue dragon fruits and flowers growing beside communal roads. 100% of local households have access to clean water and the local poverty rate has fallen to 0.6%. Huynh Van Tay lives in Duong Xuan Hoi commune: "Communal roads have been paved and decorated with bonsai trees and flower pots. We are very excited about all the changes in the commune this spring."

27 communes in Long An have been recognized as new rural areas. Nguyen Van Hoang is Director of the Long An provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development: "Local living conditions have improved significantly thanks to this program and this achievement will in turn support the province’s new rural development efforts. In 2015, we plan to have another 15 communes recognized as new rural areas, raising our total number of qualified rural communes to 40."

Newly paved roads in Duong Xuan Hoi commune

During a visit to newly recognized rural commune Tan Lan, in Long An province’s Can Duoc district, President Truong Tan Sang said: "What we have achieved is thanks to the joint effort of the local government and people. Local people’s understanding of the importance of their engagement in this program will ensure its success and sustainability."