HCM City (VNA) – Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee Nguyen Thien Nhan expressed his wish that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) will continue support for the city in addressing issues arising from the urban development.

While receiving Alex Mourmouras, Chief of the IMF’s Asia and Pacific Department, on March 16, Nhan said HCM City is facing difficulties in preparing capital resources for urban infrastructure building.

Defining the private sector’s engagement in transport infrastructure development as a need, the city wants to get IMF help in organising seminars and studies related to public-private partnership (PPP), he said.

Sharing the plan to develop HCM City into a smart city and an economic-financial hub of the country and the region, he suggested the IFM provide consultancy and assistance for the city to make a plan for building its financial centre, while sharing experience in mobilising resources from the private sector, businesses and scientists for its socio-economic development.

For his part, Alex Mourmouras affirmed that the IMF attaches importance to cooperation with Vietnam, including HCM City.

The fund is willing to provide expert and technical support to help HCM City organise seminars and studies on urban transport infrastructure development, and deal with issues related to public investment, budget management, local income increase and State budget spending.

Expressing his interest in HCM City’s smart city building programme, the IFM official said the city and his organisation can coordinate with the State Bank of Vietnam, universities and institutes to hold workshops on high-quality human resources development, support for innovative startups, cyber security and impacts of automation on labour force and development of the economy.-VNA 
VNA