Minister Cao Duc Phat was speaking at a conference held in Ha Noi on August 29 to review the implementation of Government decisions on providing houses and production land to Tay Nguyen central highlands provinces, including Kon Tum, Gia Lai, Dac Nong, Dac Lac and Lam Dong.

He said the local people, the community and the central Government should carry out the target together. In order to create sufficient land fund for the whole region, Phat noted, efforts must be further made to reclaim more land, and to encourage households which have uncultivated land to sell their land-use right to the landless, who have access to Government subsidies to buy land for cultivation.

The conference was also told that localities have failed to recruit local people to work on State farms due to the latter's poor knowledge and experience. Meanwhile, several localities have been facing a land shortage.

After three years of implementing Government decision to this effect, Tay Nguyen allocated 19,378 ha of land, 55 percent of the target in terms of acreage, to 46,617 households, 57 percent of the target in terms of households.

Kon Tum province took the lead with over 80 percent of targeted households allocated with land. It was followed by Gia Lai, Dac Nong, Lam Dong and Dac Lac, respectively.

Apart from giving land, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has experimentally allocated forest areas to the local people for preservation and protection. Gia Lai, Dac Nong and Dac Lac provinces have transferred 3,000 ha of forest each to the local people, and Kon Tum province, 1,000ha.