Yen Bai (VNA 10/01/2005) -  Party General Secretary Nong Duc Manh urged northern Yen Bai provinces authorities to conduct the "vital work" of protecting watershed forests, saying this natural dam can efficiently regulate the flow of water and save lives.

The Party leader made the call during his working visit to the province between September 29 and October 1, several days after Yen Bai and its neighbouring province of Phu Tho were hit by flash floods.

While working with the provincial authorities, Manh advised them to involve small and medium-sized businesses in exploiting natural and mineral resources abundantly available in the province. With this, the leader said, the provincial economy, especially the industrial sector, will grow strongly in the coming time.

Secretary of the Yen Bai Party Committee Ha Quyet reported that Yen Bai has posted an average annual GDP growth rate of 9.55 percent over the past five years.

Applying the motto "the administration and people work together", all communes in the province have access to trans-district transport routes and communications lines. The number of poor households was reduced from 19.29 percent to 7 percent over the past five years, the provincial leader said.

During the visit, Manh made fact-finding tours of the areas devastated by floods on September 27 and instructed necessary work to deal with the consequences of the disaster.