“Ministries and sectors should create every possible condition for the northern mountainous provinces, and the western parts of central Thanh Hoa and Nghe An provinces to develop commodity production as the practice will help improve the living conditions of local people,” Mr Khai told a conference in Hanoi on March 30.

He said that in addition to transport and irrigation projects, these provinces should develop projects on social welfare such as medical clinics and schools and pay attention to preserving and developing traditional cultural values. He asked local administrations to better implement ethnic and religious work, considering it an essential and long-term issue.

According to Minister of Planning and Investment Vo Hong Phuc, the Government has poured a large amount of investment into the region in the past five years to help improve basic infrastructure, including the transport, post and telecommunications and irrigation networks.

In the 2006-2010 period, the region’s growth rate is expected to be higher than the national level, and local socio-economic infrastructure will be upgraded to meet the requirements for economic development and national defence in the region.

By 2010, local people’s income is expected to increase by 2.5 times compared to 2000, agro-forestry product proportion will make up 26 percent of the region’s GDP, industry-construction 34 percent and trade and services 40 percent. The region plans to reduce the annual poverty rate by 2.5-3 percent and expects that all communes will have motor roads running communal cluster centres.