The Hanoi Party Committee's Steering Committee of Program No.04-CTr/TU on March 12 awarded the Prime Minister's decisions recognizing Hoai Duc, Dong Anh, and Thanh Oai districts for meeting advanced new rural standards.

The Prime Minister assigned the Hanoi People's Committee to announce and reward the recognized districts following regulations. The city was also instructed to direct the People's Committees of Hoai Duc, Thanh Oai, and Dong Anh districts to maintain and further improve their achievements, with a focus on planning and environmental criteria to ensure sustainable rural development.

The Prime Minister also tasked ministries, ministry-level agencies, government bodies, the Central Steering Committee of national programs for the 2021-2025 period, Chairman of the Hanoi People's Committee, and relevant organizations and individuals to implement these decisions.

With the latest Prime Minister's decisions, Hanoi now has five districts meeting advanced new rural standards, leading all provinces and cities nationwide.

Hoai Duc District was first recognized as a new rural district in 2017. Since then, it has continued pursuing the dual goal of becoming an advanced new rural district, and worked towards meeting the criteria to be upgraded to an urban district.

By the end of 2023, 16 communes in Hoai Duc achieved advanced new rural status, surpassing the target by four communes and reaching 88.89% of the planned goal for the 2021-2025 period.

By November 2024, 17 out of 18 communes in Hoai Duc were recognized for meeting advanced new rural standards, while six out of seven communes were certified as model new rural communes. By 2025, Hoai Duc is expected to have three more model new rural communes.

Dong Anh District was first recognized as a new rural district in 2015 and has since focused on developing rural areas towards urbanization. In recent years, the district has spent improving infrastructure, and building roads, schools, hospitals, and medical centers.

From 2011 to 2023, Dong Anh invested nearly VND16 trillion (US$625 million) in new rural development. Alongside infrastructure development, the district has encouraged agricultural economic models, trade, services, and traditional craft villages to increase income for residents.

As a result, rural areas have become more modern and well-organized, and people's living standards have significantly improved.

Today, the district has achieved over 95% urban lighting coverage and 100% rural lighting coverage, meeting the lighting criteria required for its transition into an urban district. A total of 155 green space projects and tree-planting initiatives have been implemented across the district.

After more than 10 years of implementing the new rural program, Thanh Oai District has transformed, with villages becoming more modern and infrastructure significantly improved.

Once a disadvantaged district, Thanh Oai is now one of Hanoi's leading districts in rural development. By 2019, all its communes had met new rural standards, and in 2020, the Prime Minister officially recognized it as a new rural district.

In 2024, Thanh Oai exceeded all 21 socio-economic targets assigned by the Hanoi People's Committee. The district's state budget revenue reached over VND1.7 trillion ($66.4 million), the highest ever recorded. Economic growth reached 14.9%, and the economic structure shifted positively towards sustainability.

The district had 10 more public schools achieve national standards, bringing the total to 69 out of 71 schools (97.1%). The average income per capita reached VND76.6 million (nearly $3,000) per year, and the district successfully eliminated poverty. Residents now have access to high-quality healthcare and education services.

By 2030, Thanh Oai aims to develop into an eco-friendly urban district, balancing urban and rural growth while continuously improving the quality of life for all residents.

The district will develop rural areas to align with urban standards, preserve cultural values, and promote traditional craft villages as tourism destinations for eco-tourism, craft village experiences, and agricultural tourism.

Program No.04-CTr/TU, on strengthening the effective implementation of the national target program on new rural development, agricultural restructuring and rural economic development in 2021-2025, was issued by the Hanoi Party Committee on March 17, 2021.

After four years of implementation, the program has met and exceeded many targets, helping Hanoi's rural areas become more prosperous, civilized, and modern while continuously improving the quality of life for residents.