The Central Highlands province of Dak Nong will invest 500 billion VND (23.5 million USD) in a project designed to improve the capacity of local ethnic minorities on sustainable economic development in 2013-2016 period.

The investment will include official development assistance (ODA) funds worth 400 billion VND from the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).

This year, the province invested 100 billion VND to build roads, bridges, irrigation canals and water supply facilities to improve living standards for thousands of poor ethnic minority households.

The amount of investment will be 152 billion VND next year.

The project, known as 3EM, is being implemented in 23 poor communes across the province’s five districts. It aims to help improve living conditions for poor ethnic minority households with focus on women.-VNA