Grasping and implementing Prime Minister’s Decision 277/QĐ-TTg, dated March 31st, 2000 on approving the Master Project for the Military’s participation in the socio-economic development of extremely difficult, deep-lying, and remote communes in combination with the building of defence and security zones in strategic, border, and coastal areas, Prime Minister’s Decision 1391/QĐ-TTg, dated August 9th, 2010 on approving the Master Plan for building and developing economic-defence zones towards 2020 and beyond, and the Government’s Decree 44/2009/NĐ-CP, dated May 7th, 2009 on building economic-defence zones, over the years, the Central Military Commission and the Ministry of National Defence (MND) have taken a lot of measures to build and comprehensively develop economic-defence zones in a practical, in-depth, sustainable manner. Up to now, the entire Military has constructed 28 economic-defence zones within strategic and extremely difficult areas. Those economic-defence zones have been promoting their roles in various fields and making contributions to fostering socio-economic development and consolidating national defence and security in the Homeland’s frontier areas.

It is worth noting that economic-defence corps have directly organised many production models and provided two-way services, financial assistance, and agricultural techniques for households, thereby creating stable employments for hundreds of thousands of households. Between 2010 and 2020, economic-defence zones constructed over 1,300 large-scale residential areas, gave assistance to more than 98,000 households, and basically made several communes no longer “devoid of residents.” They have actively mobilised resources to build socio-economic infrastructures, such as traffic system, water supply and sewerage, electricity grid, school, health station, and essential work for the people’s life and production development. The implementation of projects for building economic-defence zones and multiplying models of poverty reduction and the deployment of young volunteer intellectuals to economic-defence zones has been a perfect combination and contributed to helping the people with changes in their production structure, technical transfer, application of scientific and technical advances, hunger eradication, and poverty reduction. Doing so has also helped create positive spillover effects and a new look along the border, within mountainous, isolated, remote areas, and in areas mainly inhabited by ethnic minority people, ensure political security, and maintain the Homeland’s territorial integrity.

However, in addition to those good results, coordination between units and localities in the building of economic-defence zones has yet to be close. Investment projects have yet to be really effective. Models of socio-economic development have yet to bring into play their roles. The people have faced a lot of difficulties in their material and mental life. The rate of poor households is still high. Many depraved customs still exist. There have been destabilising factors to political security and social order and safety. Hostile forces have been stepping up their sabotage strategy. Free immigration, illegal missionary work, and illegal border crossing have been rather complex.

To meet the requirements set by national construction and protection in the new situation, it is vital to continue making investments in building and developing economic-defence zones into typical examples in economic, cultural, social terms, and forming firm postures of national defence and security in strategic, border, sea, island areas. To that end, sectors, localities, and units should drastically, synchronously implement measures, with a focus on the following.

First of all, bringing into play achievements in 10 years of executing Prime Minister’s Decision 1391/QĐ-TTg, dated August 9th, 2010 on approving the Master Plan for building and developing economic-defence zones towards 2020 and beyond, the MND’s Department of Economic Affairs (DEA) should cooperate with competent offices in giving advice to the MND on directing units and localities to complete plans for developing economic-defence zones in the period of 2021-2030. In the medium term, emphasis should be placed on directing offices and units to closely collaborate with localities and relevant ministries and sectors in fulfilling targets set by Prime Minister’s Decision 49/QĐ-TTg, dated June 24th, 2020 in accordance with budgets allocated by the State. Priority should be given to constructing economic-defence zones within Truong Sa Islands and Southwest. Preparations should be made to finish investing in a number of completed economic-defence zones. At the same time, there should be projects to hand over the economic-defence zones which have fulfilled their targets and tasks to localities for their management and economic, cultural, social development.

Second, provide support for residents and construct infrastructures in tandem with improvements in the people’s life. Economic-defence corps should continue closely cooperating with functional offices of districts and provinces within their stationed areas in grasping the number of poor households to adopt measures for giving citizens accommodations and production land. Due attention should be paid to accelerating the arrangement and stabilisation of population within economic-defence zones in line with provinces and districts’ population planning and shifting the purpose of land use under statutory regulations so as to provide land for localities and citizens. Offices and units should focus on constructing essential works for the people’s production and life, while effectively implementing their investment projects in combination with national target programmes to quickly foster socio-economic development along the border and ensure that villages and clusters of villages will have sufficient infrastructures and production land for the people.

Third, reorganise production models within economic-defence zones. In this regard, priority should be given to developing household economy and providing breeding animals, seedlings, support for product consumption, and technology transfer (two-way services) for the people via economic-defence zones’ direct activities. Great value should be attached to assisting local authorities in organising services and creating a favourable condition for the people’s hunger eradication and poverty reduction. Economic-defence corps should organise small-scale models and help local authorities to establish enterprises and cooperatives that provide two-way services for the people. It is vital to resolutely avoid letting residents within economic-defence zones fall into difficulty in all aspects, ensure sufficient land for the people to live and develop production, gradually help the people alleviate poverty, and preserve ethnic minority groups’ cultural identity and tradition. Preparations should be made to hand over facilities to local authorities on request. Due regard should be paid to actively executing the Project on rearranging military enterprises and raising their operational effectiveness after it is approved by Prime Minister.

Fourth, increase financial resources and closely collaborate with localities in mobilising social resources for the building of economic-defence zones. The DEA should concentrate on assisting the MND in recommending the Government and relevant offices to increase annual investments in the construction of economic-defence zones, the arrangement and stabilisation of population, hunger eradication, and sustainable poverty reduction under plans approved by Prime Minister. Importance should be attached to restructuring investments, facilitating the people’s economic development and product consumption, providing services for production, and constructing and handing over barracks and facilities to local authorities in the future. Consideration should be given to working towards proper policies to attract investments from all economic sectors in building economic-defence zones. Besides, it is essential to promote military businesses’ roles in helping the people with economic development and stabilising the people’s life. It is necessary to advise the Government on providing preferential loans for the people’s production development and the implementation of small-scale projects within economic-defence zones via economic-defence corps. Due attention should be paid to taking part in executing national target programmes and more effectively mobilising resources from military enterprises for poor districts. Significance should be attached to cooperating with localities in establishing models that provide support for production and poverty reduction and effectively employing young volunteer intellectuals within economic-defence zones in the period of 2021-2030.

Fifth, consolidate economic-defence corps’ organisational structure, improve professional competence of cadres of economic-defence corps, and maintain regulations on coordination for management within economic-defence zones. Grounded on economic-defence corps’ function and task, the DEA should collaborate with functional offices in giving advice on adjusting those units’ organisational structure and raising capability of those units’ cadres in accordance with the Project on organising the Vietnam People’s Army in the new situation. Great value should be attached to using cadres qualified enough to be investors of the projects on building economic-defence zones, minimising the number of staff members within offices, and increasing the strength of production units and groups. Emphasis should be placed on recruiting and training technical cadres, ethnic minority cadres, and young volunteer intellectuals. It is necessary to focus on training and retraining leaders and commanders of economic-defence corps to meet their task requirements in the new situation. Due attention should be paid to supplementing and perfecting plans for coordination between forces in maintaining political security and social order and safety within economic-defence zones under Prime Minister’s Decree 03/2019/NĐ-CP, dated September 5th, 2019. Last but not least, consideration should be given to rearranging residential areas and training reservists to build a firm posture of national defence and security and make significant contributions to constructing and defending the Socialist Vietnamese Homeland.

Sr. Col. PHAM TOAN THANG, Deputy Director of the MND’s DEA