An Giang province - a new day

An Giang province was recently formed by merging Kien Giang and An Giang provinces. On this borderland, more than 472,000 ethnic minority people live, accounting for 9.53% of the population.

Over the past five years, An Giang province has made efforts to implement the National Target Program for socio-economic development in ethnic minority and mountainous areas for the period of 2021-2025 (Program 1719) with a total capital of over 952 billion VND allocated to a series of works and projects. An Giang province also proactively allocated an additional 15% of its matching budget, demonstrating its determination to support the Program in the socio-economic development of ethnic minority areas. This resource has brought about significant changes for the locality.

Going through the communes and hamlets of ethnic minority areas in An Giang province today, everyone can easily recognize the strong change. The old muddy dirt roads are now concrete and asphalt to help people and vehicles circulate smoothly. 100% of communes have roads leading to their centers, 90% of particularly disadvantaged hamlets have paved roads and 99.6% of households have access to electricity. The national power grid has been extended from the commune centers to every hamlet.

Besides roads and electricity, An Giang province also has a comprehensive network of public infrastructure. People are enthusiastic about production thanks to the invested irrigation system. Children happily go to school because school buildings and kindergartens are present in all communes. 100% of communes have health stations; radio and television signals reach every corner. The percentage of households using clean water has reached nearly 90%; modern telecommunications infrastructure ensures information connectivity. People now have more convenient and comprehensive access to knowledge, healthcare and social services. With increasingly prosperous living standards, the poverty rate among ethnic minority communities has decreased sharply: in Kien Giang province (formerly) it is only 1.86%, and in An Giang province (formerly) it is 5.2%. Notably, all 65 communes in ethnic minority areas have achieved the goal of building new rural areas - something that was once a dream has now become a reality.

Today’s achievements are the result of the close yet proactive and creative leadership of the Standing Committee of the An Giang Provincial Party Committee, the decisive involvement of each level and secto and the dedication of the grassroots officials. The Provincial Party Committee always reminds leaders to be truly exemplary, directly responsible for preventing delays or errors, because each project is closely linked to the lives of the people. Before implementation, every project must be carefully considered, prioritizing feasibility, effectiveness and disbursement timelines. Most importantly, every decision must be geared towards the benefit of the people, minimizing disruption to their lives and farming seasons, so that each completed project receives the consensus, trust and support of the community. The significant changes in the ethnic minority areas of An Giang province serve as a measure of the correctness of ethnic policies and guidelines. Above all, it reflects the trust that ethnic minorities place in the Party and the State; conversely, it reflects the political system’s confidence in the strength of unity among the ethnic communities in the region.

With a new way of life and new aspirations, the people of An Giang province not only hope for enough food and clothing but also look forward to increasingly favorable opportunities for education, economic development and access to science and technology. With the established foundation, An Giang province sets the goal of sustainable development, not only reducing poverty but also improving the quality of life, preserving cultural identity, ensuring national defense and security in ethnic minority and mountainous areas. With the resources of Program 1719, An Giang province strives to become a good province of the country by 2030./.