Dakrong is a border mountainous district of Quang Tri province. The district has nearly 80% of the population being Van Kieu and Pa Ko people. Its 5 border communes in region III (A Bung, A Ngo, A Vao, Ba Nang, Ta Long) share the border with Sa Muoi district of Salavan province (Laos), with 61,226 km of border, the La Lay international border gate and the Coc sub-border gate. There are several residential clusters scattered across complex mountainous terrain and streams, making transportation difficult, especially in remote villages bordering with Laos.

To help local people improve their living conditions, with the attention and leadership of the Provincial Party Committee and Provincial People's Committee, the support and assistance from agencies of all levels, Dakrong district has seriously implemented programs and policies on socio-economic development. These include mechanisms, policies, programs, projects... for border and remote areas, such as: National target program to build new rural areas; sustainable poverty reduction; socio-economic development in ethnic minority and mountainous areas; project "Policy to support residential land and funding for granting certificates of residential land use rights and production land for poor ethnic minority households in communes of Region III, villages and hamlets with special difficulties in the period of 2019 - 2022".

The Party Committee, People's Council, and People's Committee of Dakrong district have issued many documents to lead, direct, and implement socio-economic development tasks in accordance with the actual situation of the locality to help ethnic minorities, especially the poor gradually reduce the gap in living standards with the delta.

As a border district with La Lay International Border Gate connecting with the economic region of Southern Laos and Northeast Thailand, Dakrong district has implemented the general planning of Ta Rut urban area to become a key economic region in the southwest of the district, associated with exploiting the advantages of border gate, promoting economic development and expanding trade in goods.

In addition, the district has coordinated with Quang Tri’s agencies to well implement the planning of La Lay International Border Gate and Coc Sub-Border Gate, with the aim of upgrading it to the main border gate in the period of 2020 - 2025 to develop border trade activities with Laos. At the same time, it calls for socialized capital to promote investment in projects such as: petroleum business, warehouses, bonded warehouses, infrastructure investment in the La Lay International Border Gate area; building trade centers and rural market systems in border communes; develop the transportation network, meeting the requirements of socio-economic development and travel needs of people in border areas.

Poverty reduction work is a key task of Dakrong district. The district has synchronously implemented many solutions on preferential capital policies, supporting education and training, overseas workers, housing, and electricity bills and other support programs.

In 2023, the district created new jobs for 1,244 people, reaching 191.38% of the year's plan; sent 70 people to work abroad, reaching 116.67% of the plan. Of which, border communes created 676 new jobs, reaching 233.1% of the plan and had 25 people working abroad, reaching 113.6% of the plan. The application of information technology and technology transfer in all fields for socio-economic development in border communes was properly invested.

To promote the achieved results, in the coming time, the relevant agencies of Quang Tri province need to continue to pay attention to implementing support policies for poor Dakrong district and border communes; implement programs and projects to help people in border areas develop the forest economy, increase income to ensure a living, and reduce pressure on forest resources.

Quang Tri also needs to attract investment in infrastructure development of tourist destinations in border communes; have policies, programs and projects, and resource support for communes with special difficulties and border areas to narrow the gap between mountainous and delta communes; and have specific policies for Dakrong district to fulfill new rural criteria.