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Ministry targets 2 billion USD in ODA disbursement
The Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) is adopting three main solutions to disburse more than 2 billion USD in official development assistance (ODA) capital this year.
The MPI said it is focusing on harmonising ODA project management and implementation procedures between the Government and donors, particularly differences in regulations on bidding, project site clearance and construction costs.
Strengthening agencies in charge of managing and using ODA at all levels is also being carried out alongside large-scale training for ODA managers.
The ministry is also trying to reform operations of the Partnership Group on Aid Effectiveness (PGAE) in order to further boost relations between domestic partners and donors.
According to the MPI, Vietnam disbursed a total of 1.1 billion USD of ODA capital in the first half of this year, making up 58 percent of the country’s yearly plan, including 970 million USD in ODA loans and 130 million USD in non-refundable aid.
However, the disbursed amounts for projects in urban development, health, education, finance and banking remained lower than the set targets.
The External Economic Relations Department reported that Vietnam and donors signed ODA agreements valued at 1.3 billion USD in the first six months, including over 1.2 billion USD in loans.
The Red River Delta topped the list of ODA recipients, accounting for 22 percent of the total. It was followed by the southeastern region with 21 percent, then the northern central region on 16 percent and the Mekong Delta with 13 percent.
ODA capital committed by donors is expected to reach 1.83 billion USD in the remaining months of this year, of which close to 1.3 billion USD will come from loans and 530 million USD from non-refundable aid.
Standout ODA-funded projects soon to be signed include a 405 million USD joint plan on cooperation between Vietnam and the United Nations, and the 410-million-USD Ho Chi Minh City-Long Thanh-Dau Giay expressway.
Others are construction of an urban railway in Hanoi worth 159 million USD and a business management and operations programme with a fund of 200 million USD.
VNA
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