THE PRIME MINISTER

Article 1.- To integrate in the provinces the sedentarization project, the project on support of ethnic minority people meeting with special difficulties (prescribed in the Prime Minister�s Decision No. 133/1998/QD-TTg of July 23, 1998 approving the national target program on hunger elimination and poverty alleviation in the 1998-2000 period), the program on building the centers of mountainous and highland commune clusters (prescribed in the Prime Minister�s Decision No. 35/TTg of January 13, 1997) into the program on socio-economic development in mountainous, deep-lying and remote communes meeting with great difficulties (Decision No. 135/1998/QD-TTg of July 31, 1998) with the following details:

1. The program�s title: The program on socio-economic development in communes meeting with great difficulties in ethnic minority people-inhabited, mountainous, border, deep-lying and remote areas (called the 135 program for short).

2. Objectives:

The general objectives, specific objectives, guiding principles, tasks, a number of key policies, capital sources and use of the capital of the program shall comply with the provisions in Articles 1, 2 and 3 of the Prime Minister�s Decision No. 135/1998/QD-TTg of July 31, 1998 approving the program on socio-economic development in mountainous, deep-lying and remote communes meeting with great difficulties.

3. The program�s implementation scope: The program shall support the investment in the communes according to the Prime Minister�s Decision No. 1232/QD-TTg of December 24, 1999 approving the list of specially difficult and border communes to be covered by the program on socio-economic development in mountainous, deep-lying and remote communes meeting with great difficulties and the Prime Minister�s decisions approving the lists of communes allowed to perform the tasks of the 135 program.

4. The program�s implementation period: The integrated 135 program shall be implemented in five years (2001 - 2005).

5. The 135 program shall be composed of the following projects:

a/ The infrastructure-building project: including the contents defined in Decision No. 135/1998/QD-TTg of July 31, 1998 and the sedentarization project�s section on infrastructure building defined in the Prime Minister�s Decision No. 133/1998/QD-TTg of July 23, 1998.

The sedentarization project�s section on infrasructure building shall be implemented only in communes covered by the project under Decision No. 135/1998/QD-TTg of July 31, 1998 and must be adjusted to suit the contents of the already approved planning and the project on investment in the communes� infrastructure under the 135 program;

b/ The project on building the centers of mountainous and highland commune clusters;

c/ The project on planning for relocation of population in necessary places;

d/ The project on stabilization and development of the agricultural and forestry production in association with processing and consumption of products;

e/ The project on training of commune, village and hamlet cadres.

Article 2.- To transform the project on support of ethnic minority people meeting with special difficulties (prescribed in the Prime Minister�s Decision No. 133/1998/QD-TTg of July 23, 1998) into the policy of supporting ethnic minority people meeting with special difficulties. To assign the Committee for Ethnic Minorities and Mountainous Areas to assume the prime responsibility and coordinate with the concerned ministries and branches in determining the criteria and formulating policies to support ethnic minority people meeting with special difficulties and submit them to the Prime Minister for decision.

Article 3.- Organization of implementation

1. The central Steering Committee of the 135 program (after the integration) is the Steering Committee of the program on socio-economic development in mountainous, deep-lying and remote communes meeting with great difficulties, set up and operating according to its functions and tasks defined in the Prime Minister�s Decision No. 13/1998/QD-TTg of January 23, 1998 and Decision No. 01/1999/QD-TTg of January 4, 1999, and the local Steering Committees according to the provisions in the Prime Minister�s Decision No. 38/2000/QD-TTg of March 24, 2000.

2. Regarding the organization, management and direction: The organization, management and direction of the 135 program shall comply with the Prime Minister�s Decision No. 38/2000/QD-TTg of March 24, 2000 and the management and direction of its component projects shall be assigned as follows:

- The Committee for Ethnic Minorities and Mountainous Areas shall act as the standing body assisting the Government in directing the implementation of the program, assume the prime responsibility and directly coordinate with the ministries, branches and localities in managing and directing the projects: building infrastructures, centers of commune clusters, training of commune, village and hamlet cadres.

- The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development shall assume the prime responsibility and coordinate with the ministries, branches and localities in directing the planning and relocation of population in necessary places, the projects on development of agriculture and forestry in association with processing and consumption of products in the communes covered by the program.

- The Ministry of Planning and Investment shall assume the prime responsibility and coordinate with the concerned ministries in perfecting Joint Circular No. 416/1999/TTLT/BKH-UBDTMN-TC-XD of April 29, 1999 guiding the management of investment and construction of infrastructural facilities in mountainous, deep-lying and remote communes meeting with great difficulties after the integration of the programs and projects.

- The tasks of the concerned ministries and branches shall comply with the operation regulations of the program�s central Steering Committee issued together with the Prime Minister�s Decision No. 01/1999/QD-TTg of January 4, 1999.

- The presidents of the People�s Committees of the provinces where the program is implemented shall have to direct the integration and effective organization and direction of the program in their respective localities.

Article 4.- This Decision takes effect 15 days after its signing.

The director of the central Steering Committee of the 135 program, the ministers, the heads of the ministerial-level agencies, the heads of the agencies attached to the Government and the presidents of the provinces and centrally-run cities shall have to implement this Decision.

For the Prime Minister
Deputy Prime Minister
NGUYEN CONG TAN