OVs make contributions to HCM City’s growth

HCM City (VNA) - The Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs (COVA) in Ho Chi Minh City has been making the best of resources provided by Vietnamese people abroad in building the city and the nation as a whole.

Pham Van Hai, head of the COVA’s HCM City chapter, said at a ceremony to mark its 35th anniversary on June 8, that the chapter has coordinated with other agencies to review the implementation of relevant policies and laws.

They then made proposals to relevant agencies to streamline administrative procedures and remove obstacles facing overseas Vietnamese (OVs) in investment and business, as well as cooperation in science and technology, and education and training.

The chapter has also worked as a bridge helping OVs contribute to national construction and development and sovereignty protection in their homeland, while creating conditions for young Vietnamese abroad to preserve and carry forward their traditional culture.

About 300 overseas Vietnamese experts and intellectuals are cooperating with schools, hospitals and research centres in the southern metropolis, the meeting heard.

The city has granted licences to about 2,500 businesses invested in by OVs with accumulated capital of 45 trillion VND (2.02 billion USD). Besides this, more than 120 projects worth over 260 million USD financed by OVs are operating in the locality.

Statistics show that overseas remittances to Vietnam over the past 12 years increased by 10-15 percent annually. In 2015 alone, the amount stood at 12.25 billion USD, of which more than 5.5 billion USD landed in HCM City.

Additionally, the Vietnamese abroad have engaged in charity activities in their homeland such as providing scholarships for disadvantaged students, supporting victims of Agent Orange (AO)/dioxin and building bridges in rural, remote and far-flung areas of Vietnam.-VNA