DECISION No.35-TTg OF JANUARY 13, 1997, OF THE PRIME MINISTER APPROVING THE PROGRAM FOR BUILDING HEADQUARTERS OF VILLAGE CLUSTERS IN MOUNTAIN AND HIGHLAND AREAS

THE PRIME MINISTER

DECIDES:

Article 1.- To approve the Program for Building Headquarters of Village Clusters in Mountain and Highland Areas to serve as basis for the concerned Ministries and provinces to build their five-year and annual plans with the following main contents:

I. OBJECTIVES OF THE PROGRAM:

- To mobilize all local resources and integrate the local programs to build the essential infrastructure in each village cluster head with a view to creating a motive force for accelerating the process of socio-economic development in areas inhabited by ethnic minorities and mountainous areas and contributing to national defense and security.

- To stimulate socio-cultural activities in each sub-region, facilitate exchange relations among hamlets and villages and among the village clusters and urban areas so as to develop the strengths of communities, manage all socio-economic activities, and preserve and promote ethnic identity, contributing to the building of a new rural life in areas inhabited by ethnic minorities and in mountainous areas.

II. SCOPE AND SCALE OF THE PROGRAM:

- The program shall be implemented in mountainous and highland villages of the mountainous provinces and provinces with mountainous areas.

- In the 1997-2005 period, to build about 500 village cluster headquarters in the third type of geographical areas (mountain and border areas, and areas with exceptional difficulties for the ethnic groups).

III. INVESTMENTS IN A VILLAGE CLUSTER HEADQUARTERS:

1. A road system for the village cluster headquarters;

2. Power supply for production and daily life;

3. Water supply and drainage systems for the village cluster headquarters;

4. An administrative area which includes the head office of the local People�s Committee and its agencies;

5. A polyclinic consulting and treatment station for the village cluster;

6. An educational area which includes a semi-boarding school and a general education school;

7. A servicing and trading area which includes a shop, a market, a bank affiliate, a post office and a bus station;

8. A station for agricultural and forestry expansion which includes office and residential spaces and nurseries.

9. An industrial area which includes units for processing and production of materials, smithy, carpentry and wicker work;

10. An area for social, cultural and information activities which includes a radio and television station.

IV. INVESTMENT CAPITAL AND SOURCES:

- The total investment capital for the 500 village cluster headquarters is 2,500 billion VND (this figure serves only as a guidance and basis for a detailed plan of each village cluster headquarters).

- Capital source:

+ The State Budget (including the local budgets and foreign assistance)

+ Credit

+ Capital mobilized from population communities.

Article 2.- Implementation:

- The Committee on Ethnic Affairs and Mountainous Regions shall discuss with the Ministry of Planning and Investment to select village cluster headquarters for investment according to the priority order and guide the localities in designing detailed projects to be submitted for approval in accordance with the existing regulations on investment management and construction. After the projects have been approved by the competent authority, the Committee on Ethnic Affairs and Mountainous Regions shall urge the localities to implement them and inspect their implementation.

- The Ministry of Planning and Investment shall:

Arrange financial plans for investment from the State budget for the approved projects and submit the plans to the Prime Minister for decision and inclusion in the annual budgets allocated to the concerned provinces.

Discuss with the Committee on Ethnic Affairs and Mountainous Regions and the other concerned Ministries and branches, and assume the designing of a mechanism for integrating the programs to be carried out in the same village cluster and direct its implementation.

- The People�s Committees of the mountainous provinces shall:

Be the general manager of investment projects and appoint the investor for each project.

Take the initiative in coordinating with the concerned Ministries and branches in the integration of the programs in the same area with a view to ensuring effective implementation of the Program for Building Village Cluster Headquarters.

Article 3.- The Ministers, the Heads of the ministerial-level agencies, the Heads of the agencies attached to the Government, and the Presidents of the mountainous provinces and provinces with mountainous areas, are responsible for the implementation of this Decision.

For the Prime Minister

Deputy Prime Minister