This was reported by relevant ministries and agencies at a hearing hosted by the National Assembly’s Council for Ethnic Minorities (CEM) in Hanoi on July 22.

According to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, thanks to the programme, which aims to raise public awareness and mobilise the entire society’s strength in developing cultural values so as to make culture a momentum for national industrialisation and modernisation, many historical and cultural relics have become tourism and cultural products, helping develop the country’s tourism sector.

The programme has attached importance to promoting the values of intangible cultural through promotion campaigns.

It has also invested VND 3.4 billion in restoring 38 outstanding traditional festivals of ethnic groups.

At the hearing, the Ministry of Finance suggested a stricter control over the implementation of the programme, ensuring the fulfillment of its set objectives by 2010 and building the programme for the 2011-2015 period.

CEM Vice Chairman Ma Dien Cu asked to strengthen investigative work, examine State budget spending, address violations and assess the responsibilities of relevant ministries and localities.

The programme, which includes nine projects, has a total investment capital of over VND 4.5 trillion, of which VND 2.5 trillion is sourced from the State budget.