Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has urged the Central Highlands
province of Gia Lai to do more to reduce the rate of poverty,
particularly among ethnic minority people.

At a
working session with key provincial leaders on April 12 as part of his
trip to attend the second Central Highlands investment promotion
conference in Pleiku, Dung said the province should effectively
implement the national target programme on building new-style rural
areas while assisting locals in developing family-based economies.

The PM suggested that Gia Lai boost agricultural production, and apply
scientific advances and new technologies to improve productivity and
competitiveness, especially in the coffee, rubber, pepper and animal
husbandry sectors.

At the same time, the province
needs to improve its investment environment to attract investors into
areas with high development potentials, such as the cultivation and
processing of industrial crops.

More attention
should be paid to improving health care and education services,
especially high-quality human resource training to meet development
demand, Dung said.

He hailed the province for its
achievements over the past years, especially those of last year. The
locality enjoyed a GDP growth of 12.9 percent. Annual income per
capita reached 26 million VND (1,200 USD) and the rate of poor
households fell by 3.82 percent, equivalent to 8,370 households.

Dung and leaders of ministries and central agencies also gave their
opinions on Gia Lai’s proposals, including the upgrading of the Pleiku
airport terminal and funding for key transport, irrigation and cultural
infrastructure projects in the locality.

While in Gia Lai, the PM visited the provincial police and Army Corps 3 High Command.-VNA