The first phase of the program, covering 2026–2030, is allocated a total state budget of approximately $17.5 billion (423 trillion VND). This includes:

$4.1 billion from the central budget (of which $2.87 billion will go to development investment and $1.23 billion to recurring expenses)
$12.4 billion from local government budgets
$1 billion from policy-based credit funds derived from the state budget

The overarching objective is to double or triple rural residents’ average income by 2030 compared to 2020. By 2035, rural incomes are projected to increase at least 1.6 times over 2030, with ethnic minority incomes reaching half the national average.

The program focuses on socio-economic development in rural, remote, and ethnic minority regions - areas historically underserved in infrastructure, services, and opportunity.

It also aims to boost resilience in these regions through investments in housing, agriculture, water supply, education, healthcare, and employment generation.

To ensure implementation, the National Assembly has tasked the Government with directing the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment to lead coordination efforts, in collaboration with the Ministry of Ethnic and Religious Affairs and other relevant ministries.

The Government will also adjust central funding levels, including social policy credit, based on evolving needs and annual progress reports submitted to the National Assembly.

By 2030, a full review of the 2026–2030 phase will be conducted, along with proposals for the 2031–2035 phase and its required resources.

Prime Minister to set local co-funding rates and priorities

The National Assembly has given the Prime Minister the authority to specify principles, criteria, and allocation levels for central budget funding and local co-financing ratios.

These will be differentiated by levels of regional hardship, prioritizing communes, villages, border zones, safe zones, and islands with the most urgent development needs.

The Prime Minister will also determine five-year and annual targets for each province and city, ensuring localized adaptation and accountability.

In addition, the Prime Minister is responsible for issuing a new national rural development criteria framework for 2026–2030, as well as updated evaluation criteria for the OCOP (One Commune, One Product) program - to improve quality, branding, sustainability, and market fit.

The government will oversee implementation, monitor progress, and instruct provinces to mobilize and integrate diverse resources, including local budgets and public-private partnerships.

Avoiding duplication, ensuring accountability

Ahead of the vote, Minister of Agriculture and Environment Tran Duc Thang presented a report summarizing feedback from National Assembly deputies and revisions to the resolution.

The Standing Committee of the National Assembly emphasized the need to avoid overlap in target groups and policies across different national programs. This includes aligning policies in education, healthcare, and culture to ensure full coverage of vulnerable groups, particularly in ethnic and mountainous areas.

Urgent issues like housing, farmland, and access to clean water must be addressed as a priority.

The Committee also proposed assigning clear leadership roles to individual ministries for each program component to ensure responsibility and coordination.

Minister Tran Duc Thang confirmed that the Government will continue to refine implementation details, avoid redundancies, and align with other national programs to cover all unique groups effectively.

He also noted that ministries would be clearly assigned to lead specific components, with responsibilities defined for efficient execution.

Call for ethnic-focused leadership

Several National Assembly deputies urged that the Ministry of Ethnic and Religious Affairs be assigned as the lead agency for the ethnic minority development component of the national program.

Deputy Ha Sy Dong emphasized the need for a unified leadership role to ensure consistency in policies and program execution for ethnic communities.

Deputy Ho Thi Minh, an ethnic Bru-Van Kieu representative, stressed the importance of ensuring smooth continuity in the program starting from 2026. She recommended assigning leadership of the second program component - focused on ethnic policy - to the Ministry of Ethnic and Religious Affairs for maximum effectiveness.

Others echoed that ministries with deep expertise in ethnic affairs should oversee the corresponding program areas to improve impact and coordination.

Thanh Hue