He made the call during a working session with local authorities on July 15th as part of his two-day visit, which began a day earlier, to inspect the implementation of the Resolution adopted by the 12th National Party Congress and another by the 13th provincial Party Congress.

Lai Chau needs to continue investing in infrastructure and new rural construction, reducing the rate of poor households, he said, adding that it must also pay attention to ethnic and religious work, crack down on drug crimes and maintain political security and social safety and order.

On the occasion, the Party leader called for improving personnel work and developing human resources while launching more external activities, partly by increasing cooperation with China’s Yunnan province and northern Lao localities.

Currently, 87 percent of the local population are ethnic minorities. With the goal of escaping its status as an especially disadvantaged province, Lai Chau has built new models of high-yielding rice and tea cultivation.

All 96 communes now have proper road access to town centres, while 84 percent of households have been connected to the national power grid and 75 percent of the rural population have access to clean water.

A number of major hydropower plants such as Lai Chau, Ban Chat and Huoi Quang have been built.

The provincial Party Committee has devised an action plan in which three key programmes have been identified, focusing on agriculture, new rural construction, and the improvement of human resources and the grassroots political system.

A programme on building new-style rural areas will continue.

Earlier on July 14th, the Party chief paid a working visit to Ban Bo commune./.