Vietnam has urged Japan through its cooperative agency, JICA, to support the Finance Ministry in implementing a number of programmes such as the tax management (phase III) and electronic customs projects.

In his meeting with Japanese Deputy Finance Minister Nakao Takehiko in Hanoi on Dec. 12, Finance Minister Vuong Dinh Hue asked the Japanese Finance Ministry to assist Vietnam with key issues such as financial system and public investment restructuring, and State-owned enterprise restructuring.

He also asked the Japanese ministry to support an increase of loan level to Vietnam ’s 10th Poverty Reduction Support Credit (PRSC).

The Minister thanked the Japanese Government, including the Finance Ministry, for its help to Vietnam . In particular, the Japanese Government committed to provide 1.9 billion USD in ODA to Vietnam for the 2012 fiscal year at the recent consultative group meeting, despite its difficulties from the March earthquake-tsunami disaster.

He provided a briefing on Vietnam ’s macro-economic situation and the Government’s solutions to curb inflation, maintain macro-economic stability and social welfare.

In reply, Deputy Minister Nakao Takehiko expressed his pleasure at Vietnam ’s economic achievements with controlling inflation and maintaining macro-economic stability, especially through an increase in export revenue.

Japan will continue to help Vietnam in its development targets such as infrastructure and poverty reduction, he said./.