Hanoi (VNA) – Deputy Prime Minister Bui Thanh Son has signed Decision No. 441/QD-TTg approving a plan to implement Vietnam’s orientation for mobilising, managing and utilising official development assistance (ODA) and foreign concessional loans in the 2026–2030 period.
The plan aims to ensure sufficient resources for development investment at national, sectoral and local levels through an appropriate scale and structure of ODA and concessional financing.
Priority will be given to disbursement needs of ongoing and transitional projects from the 2021–2025 period, as well as new projects expected to complete procedures and partially disburse in the 2026–2030 period.
Funding will also be earmarked for major infrastructure works and nationally important projects whose investment modalities and capital sources are yet to be finalised, alongside other public investment programmes assigned by competent authorities.
The Government emphasises proactive, effective cooperation with development partners based on trust, mutual understanding and respect, in order to mobilise non-refundable aid and highly concessional loans. Financing sources will be carefully selected to match Vietnam’s conditions, with a focus on priority sectors, regions and projects, while striving to harmonise procedures between Vietnam and donors.
The preparation, appraisal, negotiation and implementation of ODA-funded programmes will be aligned with the country’s socio-economic development strategy, medium-term public investment plan, five-year financial plan and public debt management plan for 2026–2030. These efforts will support breakthroughs in economic growth, innovation-driven development, digital transformation, science and technology, energy security, education and public health, while encouraging stronger participation of the private sector.
The plan also targets fundamental solutions to bottlenecks that have slowed project preparation and implementation. At the same time, it calls for modernising and digitalising ODA management in line with international standards to enhance transparency, accountability and oversight, and improve efficiency and processing time.
Regarding orientation, ODA and concessional loans will be prioritised for key programmes and projects with strong spillover and transformative impacts, particularly in socio-economic infrastructure.
Such capital will be used strictly for development investment, based on careful assessment of borrowing conditions, feasibility, efficiency, regional balance and public debt safety.
Foreign concessional loans are defined as supplementary resources, to be mobilised after domestic and more favourable funding sources have been utilised. They will be directed to areas where domestic capital or highly concessional ODA is insufficient and private investment remains limited.
Vietnam will prioritise funding sources with favourable terms, fewer conditions, flexible procedures and diverse financial instruments, especially those offering technology transfer and technical assistance.
In addition to traditional project-based lending, the country will adopt more flexible financing approaches, including budget support, multi-phase programmes and results-based disbursement, combined with international capital market instruments.
To realise these goals, the plan outlines five groups of tasks and solutions, focusing on institutional reform, donor engagement, improved project implementation, innovation in capital mobilisation and risk management, and enhanced technology transfer through ODA-funded projects./.
