Dak Lak Province Faces Challenges with 17 Communes Failing to Meet New Rural Standards

Dak Lak Province in Vietnam's Central Highlands is facing significant challenges in achieving the 'New Rural Standards' (Nông thôn mới). Following its administrative merger with Phu Yen Province, Dak Lak now oversees 102 communes and 14 wards. Of these, 88 communes are designated for the New Rural Standards initiative. For the 2026-2030 period, the province has 81 communes in ethnic minority and mountainous areas, categorized as khu vực I (16), khu vực II (14), and khu vực III (51). Additionally, 449 hamlets and traditional ethnic villages (buôn) are identified as particularly disadvantaged. During the 2020-2025 period, both the former Dak Lak and Phu Yen provinces allocated substantial resources to three national target programs: New Rural Development, Sustainable Poverty Reduction, and Socio-economic Development for Ethnic Minority and Mountainous Areas. However, a report presented by the Dak Lak Provincial People's Committee at an August review meeting on September 7th revealed that only 26 out of 88 communes have met the New Rural Standards to date. A preliminary review of the 88 communes shows an average attainment of 2.55 criteria per commune, with 17 communes failing to meet any criteria. This outcome indicates that the task of achieving New Rural Standards in Dak Lak Province will be arduous, requiring significant investment from the central government and concerted efforts from all levels of government, sectors, businesses, and the local population.