They included Hoang Van Nghiem, member of the Party Central Committee, Secretary of the provincial Party Committee and head of the provincial delegation of National Assembly deputies; and Cha A Cua, Deputy Secretary of the provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the provincial Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee, among others.

Under the two-level local government model, former communes of Song Ma district were merged to establish nine new communes, forming two main economic areas: communes along the Ma River and National Highway 4G, and highland communes. Following the administrative reorganisation, the communes quickly stabilised their organisational structures and promoted solutions for socio-economic development.

In 2025, the communes effectively mobilised and integrated various funding sources to invest in synchronised and efficient infrastructure, particularly funds from national target programmes, state budget capital, preferential loans, and specific support resources for border communes.

To date, 100% of communes have concreted roads to their centres; 54.5% of commune roads have been concreted; 98.5% of rural residents have access to hygienic domestic water; 79.9% of urban solid waste is collected and treated; and 96% of households use the national power grid. Urban infrastructure systems have been invested in a synchronised and modern manner; urban landscapes, green spaces, parks, and squares have been renovated. Service activities and small-scale handicraft industries have been promoted. The entire area currently has more than 11,000 hectares of fruit trees, including nearly 8,000 hectares of longan, providing a stable source of income for local people.

Party building, consolidation of the political system, and external relations with Laos have been strengthened; while political security and social order and safety ensured.

At the working session, the communes proposed that the province consider increasing staffing quotas for communes with large populations, wide areas, and heavy workloads; prioritise allocation of public investment capital for Song Ma commune to meet essential infrastructure needs and enable the locality to achieve new-style rural commune standards by 2029; invest in the construction of Provincial Road 115 from Muong Hung commune to Chieng Khuong commune to connect the right bank of the Ma River area with the Chieng Khuong Border Gate; and soon invest in building headquarters for the communes.

Speaking at the event, the provincial Party Committee Secretary requested commune-level Party committees and authorities continue to lead and direct efforts to overcome difficulties, maximise available resources, and implement tasks and solutions in a synchronised and decisive manner from the beginning of the year.

Priorities include effectively implementing agricultural and rural development programmes and projects; developing and replicating production models with high economic efficiency; converting crops and livestock to suit climate change and market demand, linked with product consumption chains. Attention should be paid to disaster prevention, response, and recovery, stabilising the lives of people affected by floods; investing in basic infrastructure construction; and strengthening state management of planning, urban development, natural resources, and minerals.

The communes were also urged to continue coordinating the implementation and completion of inter-level boarding school construction projects as planned; promote cultural values and historical and revolutionary traditions; and preserve and spread the cultural identities of ethnic groups.

Effective management and protection of border sovereignty and security should be ensured; solidarity, friendship, and comprehensive cooperation with bordering districts of Laos’ Houaphanh province should be maintained and strengthened. Coordination with border guard units is needed to closely monitor the population situation and regularly control cross-border visits by residents, especially in the period before, during, and after the Lunar New Year.

On this occasion, the working delegation presented 15 gift packages to poor households and policy beneficiary families in Song Ma commune.