(HBO) - Located in a mountainous region and home to many ethnic groups, Mai Chau district has implemented programmes to expand its trade and services supply network, in a bid to meet demand of local consumers, ensure social welfare, and improve people’s lives.
Pa Co
market in Mai Chau provides a wide range of products, satisfying the needs of
people in mountainous areas.
Though Xam Khoe market in the commune of
the same name only opens once a week on Saturday, people in the commune and
surrounding areas never face grocery shortage.
Similarly, in the remote and mountainous communes
of Hang Kia, Pa Co, Son Thuy, Tan Thanh and Cun Pheo, local residents could
access diverse products.
The local markets open one day each week. The
market in Mai Chau town opens regularly, while a traditional market for Mai
Chau area is held every Sunday. In addition, there is a network of grocery stores
operated by local people across the district.
Head of Mai Chau district’s Economy and
Infrastructure Division Nguyen Van Dung noted that trade and services in the
district have developed extensively in recent years, with many local shops
opened in communes and hamlets. Many traders and households are willing to deliver
products to hamlets and villages to serve more residents.
The district is home to 10 markets - Mai
Hich, Xam Khoe, Co Luong, Pa Co, Phuc San, Tan Mai, Tan Dan, Noong Luong, Bao
La and Mai Chau. There are also 1,254 trade and services establishments across
the district.
State management and market surveillance
agencies conduct regular inspections of operations of markets and shops.
Therefore, the trading of counterfeit and smuggled goods and those of unknown
origins has significantly reduced, with most goods on the market having good quality,
meeting consumers’ demand and taste.
In 2019, retail sales and service revenues in
the district surpassed 1 trillion VND (42.57 million USD). The figure of the
first two months of this year surged to more than 183 billion VND./.
Over recent years, the Farmers' Union of Mai Chau district has implemented numerous specific programmes and activities to support its members in developing products under the One Commune One (OCOP) programme. These efforts have contributed to enhancing local agricultural branding, increasing goods value, and improving incomes and living standards for residents.
Since 2022, the Hoa Binh Department of Education and Training has provided advice for the provincial People's Committee to issue Plan No. 219/KH-UBND on November 17, 2022, which outlines the implementation of a project titled "Enhancing the application of Information Technology (IT) and Digital Transformation in Education and Training for the 2022–2025 period, with a vision to 2030.” As of now, the local education sector has made significant progress in IT adoption and digital transformation.
Hoa Binh allocated over 30 trillion VND (nearly 1.18 billion USD) to develop infrastructure systems in ethnic minority and mountainous areas during 2019 - 2024. Priority was given to transport and irrigation infrastructure; markets; schools; medical stations; communal houses; and power grid, telecommunication, radio, and television systems.
The Hoa Binh provincial organising committee for anniversary activities on December 17 held a ceremony to unveil a ceramic mural on the local military-civilian ties and release a book on the Party and political work of the provincial armed forces during 1947 – 2024, in commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the Vietnam People’s Army (VPA) and 35th anniversary of the All-People Defence Festival.
In recent years, Hoa Binh has allocated significant resources to foster cooperative economy, helping ethnic minorities capitalise on their potential and advantages to escape poverty.
As a mountainous district still facing numerous challenges, Da Bac has made notable progress in advancing administrative reforms across various areas. The district has prioritised reorganising and streamlining its administrative apparatus, operating "one-stop-shop” units, and applying information technology (IT) in the handling of administrative procedures. Efforts have also been directed toward upgrading infrastructure and equipment to enhance service quality for residents and businesses.