The delegation was received by Nguyen Dinh Viet, Deputy Secretary of the provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee; Nguyen Thanh Cong, Vice Chairman of the People’s Committee; and representatives from various departments in Son La.

At the meeting, local officials provided updates on the province's efforts to ensure reliable electricity supply for socio-economic development. They also reviewed the implementation of the Party Central Committee’s Resolution No. 42-NQ/TW, dated November 24, 2023, on continuing to innovate and improve the quality of social policies, meeting the requirements of building and protecting the Fatherland in the new period, and Plan No. 19-KH/TW dated November 27, 2023 of the Politburo, on implementing the resolution. 

According to a provincial report, Son La primarily generates electricity through hydropower, with small contributions from rooftop solar and biomass energy. With 60 hydropower plants in operation, the province boasts a total capacity exceeding 3,790 MW, accounting for 16.86% of the national hydropower capacity. In 2024, the province is expected to produce approximately 14 billion kWh of electricity.

Under the sub-project on rural power supply from the national grid for Son La in the 2021–2025 period, the province has enabled electricity access to an additional 13,500 households, with a total investment capital of 420 billion VND (16.52 million USD). The electrification rate for hamlets is expected to rise to 99.91% this year from 98.21% in 2021. Two remote hamlets—Pha Din in Chieng Dong commune and Ta Lat in Muong Cai commune, both in Song Ma district —remain without electricity. Provincial authorities have proposed funding from the EU – Vietnam Sustainable Energy Transition Programme to address this gap.

Under Resolution No. 42-NQ/TW, the employment programme has facilitated career transitions, created jobs, and increased income for 21,018 workers, surpassing the yearly target by 5.1%. Vocational training has been provided to 20,083 individuals, raising the proportion of trained workers to 62.93%.

Up to 99.87% of households with members credited for national contributions have a living standard equal to or above the average in their communities. All eligible social policy beneficiaries have received full and timely support under applicable policies. Assistance has been provided to 100% of disadvantaged children, and every identified drug addict has been documented and subjected to appropriate rehabilitation measures.

As of now, a total of 43,069 individuals in Son La benefit from social welfare policies. Additionally, 943 homes have been built or renovated for poor and near-poor families facing housing difficulties, with total funding of over 40 billion VND.

Monthly allowances have been given to 28,634 individuals who rendered service to the nation and their relatives, with a total amount of nearly 73 billion VND.

Speaking at the meeting, Hoi praised Son La’s recent efforts in enhancing social welfare and improving the quality of social policies. He urged the province to accelerate the removal of substandard housing, emphasising social contributions to this initiative. The Deputy Minister also urged the locality to focus on education and training to ensure all children of school age have access to education. Additionally, he stressed the need to intensify poverty alleviation efforts, particularly in ethnic minority-inhabited areas, and to strengthen the management of drug addicts undergoing treatment in rehabilitation centres. He asked provincial authorities to expedite the electrification of the two remaining hamlets without power and to provide rice assistance to impoverished households during the upcoming Lunar New Year.

In response, Viet welcomed the delegation’s recommendations and proposed that the Government, ministries, and centrally-run agencies issue timely guidelines for implementing mechanisms and policies under Resolution No. 42-NQ/TW to enable effective execution at the local level.

He requested the Northern Power Corporation to prioritise funding for the upgrading and expansion of the provincial power grid. He suggested investments in renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind power, to provide electricity to approximately 1,200 households currently without access. Additionally, he proposed the construction and upgrading of new 110kV substations and transmission lines.

Earlier, the delegation visited the provincial drug rehabilitation centre and the Vietnam Bank for Social Policies (VBSP)’s Son La branch. On this occasion, they presented 50 million VND in cash along with various gifts to the provincial Social Protection Centre.