Recognising the significance of the emulation and commendation work for the comprehensive development of the province, in recent years, the Provincial Party Committee and the People's Committee of Bac Lieu have vigorously and systematically implemented leadership measures to promote the Patriotic Emulation movement, focusing on the successful implementation of the New rural development programme and achieving many tangible results.

Following the teachings of President Ho Chi Minh that “Emulating is being patriotic, and to be a true patriot, one must emulate. And those who emulate are the most patriotic ones”. Throughout the process of construction and development of the province, the Patriotic Emulation movement has been spread rapidly and developed extensively and profoundly across various fields, with many innovations and creativity in implementation. It has provided significant motivation in achieving success in economic and social development goals, ensuring national defence, security, order, and social safety within the province. Particularly, the Movement has promoted and harnessed the combined strength of the Party, the local government, the local armed forces, the local agencies and the entire population of the province to effectively implement the National Target Program on the Development of New Rural Area with the focus on quality and sustainability, and not merely pursuing achievements.

After over 10 years of implementation, the New rural development programme has received unanimous support and enthusiastic participation from all levels, sectors, and people in the province, resulting in significant achievements. The rural areas have undergone remarkable transformations, with progressively developed and synchronised infrastructure. Areas such as culture, healthcare, and education have received appropriate investments and attention. The Province’s service and commerce sectors continue to flourish, while rural transportation and irrigation systems have been gradually improved to meet production and livelihood needs. Currently, all 49 communes in the province have met the criteria to be recognised as new rural areas, with 8 communes achieving advanced new rural area standards, and 3 communes recognised as exemplary models of new rural areas. There are also 67 hamlets that have met the criteria for exemplary new rural hamlets. Phuoc Long district has achieved the standards for a new rural district, and the city of Bac Lieu has completed all the criteria of a new rural area. Additionally, four district-level units have basically fulfilled the criteria and are undergoing the process of requesting recognition as new rural areas.

Leaders of the province plant trees on one of the new rural road

In the upcoming period, to ensure a swift and sustainable development of the province, the Provincial Party Committee and People’s Committee will continue to lead and direct the Patriotic Emulation movement, focusing on the successful implementation of the National Target Program on the Development of New Rural Areas. The province recognises that the development of new rural areas must be closely linked to agricultural industrialisation and modernisation, and the urbanisation of rural areas. It should aim to ensure rural-urban connectivity, balanced economic and social development, and environmental sustainability. Efforts will be made to improve the material and spiritual lives of the people, enhance the quality of services, meet the recreational needs of the residents and narrow the development gap between urban and rural areas. Additionally, emphasis will be placed on environmental protection, rural landscape improvement, the preservation and promotion of the cultural and human values of Bac Lieu, the establishment of a transparent and robust political system, and ensuring national defence and security. The province has set specific targets to be achieved by 2025, striving to complete the task of building new rural areas, with Phuoc Long district achieving exemplary new rural area standards and Bac Lieu city completing the task of building exemplary new rural areas. To successfully achieve these goals, in addition to enhancing the management and leadership capacity of the political system, efforts will be made to develop a skilled workforce for program implementation. The Provincial Party Committee, the People’s Committee of the Province, departments, organisations, localities, and units must continue to effectively implement the following important measures.

1. Enhance the leadership and guidance of Party committees and government authorities at all levels; raise awareness and actions of all levels, branches, and the people towards the national goal of building new rural areas. Based on the thorough implementation of resolutions, directives, and guidelines on building new rural areas, the Province must strengthen the leadership and guidance of party committees and government authorities at all levels in implementing the tasks of developing exemplary and advanced new rural areas. Also, it should intensify the dissemination of Party and State policies and resolutions regarding agriculture, farmers, rural areas, and the tasks of developing exemplary and advanced new rural areas; creating unity of will and a strong transformation of actions within the political system, among officials, Party members, businesses, and the people. The Province authority requires party committees at all levels, leaders of localities, units, and cadres and party members to fulfil their responsibilities as role models, and actively and effectively implement the National Target Programme on the Development of New Rural Areas, but avoid being dependent on the higher authority overconfident, and impatient in carrying out their tasks. In addition, the Province must effectively implement the Law on Democratic Governance at the grassroots level, ensuring transparency and accountability in the construction of welfare projects co-funded by the State and the People; creating conditions for citizens to participate in the opinion-sharing on the projects; effectively utilising the supervisory and critical roles of the Fatherland Front and social organisations during the implementation process. Besides the Provincial authority should strengthen propaganda work to mobilise the entire political system and all social classes to actively participate in the Emulation Movement “The whole nation joins hands to build new rural areas and civilised urban areas”. Furthermore, Bac Lieu Province must enhance training and capacity-building for the personnel involved in the development of new rural areas at all levels; regularly summarise and evaluate the emulation movements for the development of new rural areas; timely encourage, reward, and replicate effective models and approaches.

2. Strengthen the Patriotic Emulation movement and leverage the strength of all social classes in improving the quality of new rural area criteria and focus on building and perfecting advanced and exemplary new rural areas. Upholding the achieved results, the province must direct functional agencies and localities to continue to enhance the quality of the criteria that have met the standards for new rural areas and aim to build advanced and exemplary rural communes. In addition, there should be effective and integrated solutions for vocational training and job creation for rural labourers, and income improvement for the people to ensure sustainable poverty reduction. Also, the Province must regularly place emphasis on the organisation of production, the restructuring of the agricultural sector, the development of industries, and the enhancement of production capacity, considering these as important measures for the development of sustainable new rural areas. Additionally, adjustments and supplements of the planning and construction schemes for the period 2021-2025 should be implemented in alignment with the local planning and development objectives. Simultaneously, the leadership of the Province must focus on providing guidance to localities and units in improving the quality of the rural environment, implementing solutions for waste management, and domestic wastewater and livestock waste treatments, and strengthening socialisation to mobilise resources for addressing rural environmental issues. Furthermore, Bac Lieu must launch a strong movement to build advanced and exemplary residential areas, creating a green, clean, and scenic environmental landscape in each household and community. In addition, there should be efforts to continue to promote education, healthcare, and the development of cultural life in the new rural areas, preserve and promote the cultural traditions of each ethnic group and rural region and the cultural identity of the people of Bac Lieu, and enhance the effective utilisation of cultural facilities to meet the cultural needs of rural residents. Also, the Province must improve the quality of education, initial healthcare, and medical examination and treatment for the people; effectively implement health insurance policies for rural residents, especially those in remote, isolated, and ethnic minority areas. And last but not least, efforts must be made to maintain political security, social order, and safety in rural areas; effectively address social order hotspots; intensify crime and social vice fighting and prevention; and focus on building and replicating self-governance and self-defence models for residential area security.

3. Strengthening propaganda and dissemination of effective production and business models, as well as advanced exemplars in developing new rural areas. The Province must focus on effectively carrying out propaganda and raising awareness among the people regarding the establishment of model initiatives and expanding mass movements within the new rural development campaign. Emphasis should be placed on replicating new rural districts and advanced and exemplary new rural hamlets. Specifically, attention should be given to propagating and disseminating highly efficient production and business models, as well as advanced exemplars in the process of developing new rural areas and implementing democratic, transparent, and accountable practices of commending and rewarding in accordance with emulation regulations towards the right individuals and the right tasks. Throughout the implementation process, it is essential to honour exemplary farmers who have contributed land, money, effort, and knowledge in building infrastructure such as roads, schools, cultural centres, etc., as well as progressive farmers who excel in production emulation movements, new rural development initiatives, and building cultured families. Moreover, it is important to prioritise the selection and recognition of outstanding individuals and organisations with innovative and effective emulation practices in order to enhance and develop advanced role models. Within the Province, many new models and innovative practices have emerged from the emulation movement, such as “super-intensive shrimp farming, intensive farming, semi-intensive farming, combined shrimp-rice cultivation” and “high-yield, high-quality salt production”. The “One Commune, One Product” programme, traditional craft villages, and various models applying scientific and technological advancements to production (such as VietGAP, GlobalGAP, organic farming, and high-tech farming) have increased shrimp and rice productivity, as well as the cultivation of vegetables and fruits while reducing post-harvest losses. Also, efforts are being made to expand the safe shrimp farming and disease-resistant crop cultivation areas throughout the Province.

4. Push ahead the industrialisation of agriculture and the urbanisation of rural areas. The province should be more focused on accelerating the industrialisation and modernisation of agriculture to increase productivity and the value per unit of land area. Efforts are being made to rapidly mechanise and computerise agriculture, applying the achievements of the Fourth Industrial Revolution to agricultural production. Businesses and economic entities should be further encouraged to invest in and replicate large-scale, clean production models in combination with in-depth processing and product consumption, particularly for advantageous agricultural products of the province (shrimp, rice, seafood, salt, bird’s nest, and Bac Lieu Thanh’s longyan). The process of urbanisation of rural areas must continue to be strengthened appropriately and the quality of services must be improved to ensure that they meet the needs of the people, contributing to the improvement of their material and spiritual lives. Also, efforts must be made to narrow the development gap between urban and rural areas by closely integrating agricultural and rural development programs with urban industrial and service development. The aim is to achieve comprehensive urban planning coverage, complete regional district plans that meet the criteria for new rural areas, and plan key areas for industry, agriculture, and services in a modern and suitable manner according to the planning of the Mekong Delta region. And land use plans should be arranged in accordance with the process of industrialisation and urbanisation within the province.

PHAM VAN THIEU, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the Provincial People’s Committee