HA NOI - More than VND4,632 billion (US$299 million) has been spent on infrastructure projects in remote poor regions over the past four years in a bid to improve the living conditions of residents.

The investment is part of a national programme to eliminate hunger and ease poverty, focusing on disadvantaged areas such as remote mountain regions and off-shore islands, says a report released by the Government Office. The State budget has contributed VND4,100 billion, while local and international donations have accounted for the remainder.

Under the plan, provincial roads have been linked to 400 remote upland communes, bridging the gap between the standard of living of the upland and lowland regions, the report says. Sixty-four per cent of rural communes have now tapped into the national electricity grid.

The programme has also improved farming methods, with additional 40,000ha of land irrigated for rice production.

Thousands of classrooms and medical stations have been built as part of the programme.
Special attention has been paid to ethnic minorities, with more than VND591 billion spent on the repair or construction of homes. However, funding can only meet a fraction of the demand from the more than 440,000 families needing support to replace their makeshift huts with brick houses.
Local authorities are being encouraged to raise funds in a variety of ways, such as by lottery, to support the efforts. -VNS