Vietnam PM Lê Minh Hưng Orders Faster Implementation of National Target Programmes, Calls for Greater Accountability

Hanoi, The Gulf Observer: Vietnamese Prime Minister Lê Minh Hưng has expressed concern over the slow implementation of the country’s national target programmes, warning that several key tasks are behind schedule and that funds allocated for 2026 could remain undisbursed unless urgent corrective measures are taken.

Chairing the first meeting of the Central Steering Committee for the implementation of the national target programmes on Thursday, the Prime Minister, who heads the committee, stressed that despite significant achievements, the pace of execution remains well below expectations.

The newly established Central Steering Committee oversees four major national target programmes, including New Rural Development, Sustainable Poverty Reduction and Socio-Economic Development in Ethnic Minority and Mountainous Areas, Cultural Development, Healthcare, Population and Development, and the Modernisation and Improvement of Education and Training.

Prime Minister Hưng noted that although fiscal resources remain constrained, the National Assembly and the Government have allocated substantial funding for these programmes, making it essential for ministries and local authorities to ensure timely, effective and goal-oriented implementation.

He observed that several guidance documents and capital allocation plans remain incomplete, while a significant portion of funds from the 2021–2025 programmes has been carried forward due to low disbursement rates. He also pointed to the excessive number of guidance documents—54 for three key programmes alone—which has complicated implementation at the local level and highlighted the absence of an effective coordination mechanism among the programmes.

The Prime Minister further noted that in some provinces, particularly among senior officials, insufficient attention has been given to the strategic importance of the national target programmes, resulting in weak implementation and delayed execution. While acknowledging that administrative restructuring and programme integration have contributed to some delays, he said a lack of initiative, coordination and timely preparation by certain agencies has also hindered progress.

Describing the programmes as a crucial national priority, Prime Minister Hưng instructed the Government Office to issue the meeting’s conclusions along with clear responsibilities and implementation deadlines for all concerned agencies.

He called for stronger measures to improve both fund disbursement and investment efficiency while ensuring better coordination among all national target programmes to accelerate development, particularly in rural, ethnic minority and mountainous regions. He emphasised that resources must be allocated strategically to reach the intended beneficiaries and that officials’ performance should be assessed based on programme delivery, disbursement progress and tangible benefits for local communities.

The Prime Minister assigned the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment to strengthen monitoring, provide timely guidance and remove obstacles to ensure full disbursement of this year’s allocated funds.

He also directed the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to complete the medium-term public investment allocation plan for 2026–2030 and submit it for approval before July 25, while preparing an implementation handbook within the current month.

The Ministries of Health and Education and Training were instructed to finalise budget allocation criteria, counterpart funding regulations and medium-term investment plans in coordination with the Government Office and the Ministry of Finance.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Ethnic Affairs and Religion was tasked with ensuring that development policies effectively reach the intended communities while addressing urgent needs such as housing land, production land, electricity, clean water and sustainable livelihoods in ethnic minority and mountainous areas.

The Ministry of Finance was directed to finalise and consolidate public investment plans, accelerate capital allocation, issue regulations governing programme funding, publicly disclose implementation progress and reallocate resources where necessary to maximise efficiency.

Concluding the meeting, Prime Minister Hưng stressed the importance of stronger decentralisation, closer inter-ministerial coordination and performance evaluation based on measurable outcomes. He urged ministries and local authorities to resolve implementation bottlenecks promptly, enhance supervision and make necessary policy adjustments to ensure the programmes fully achieve the development objectives set by the Party and the State.