VN vows to optimise use of WB loans

Vietnam vows to optimise use of World Bank loans

Vietnam will use loans committed by the WB in the most effective way, said PM Nguyen Tan Dung.
Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung thanked the World Bank (WB) for itseffective assistance to the development of Vietnam over the past yearsduring his meeting with WB President Jim Yong Kim in Hanoi on July17.

He pledged that Vietnam will use the nearly4 billion USD loan that was freshly committed by the WB in a mosteffective way. The sum will come from the institution’s InternationalDevelopment Association (IDA).

PM Dung noted thatburdening severe consequences from wars, Vietnam has a high proportionof poor households, especially among ethnic minority groups and it isforecast to be one of the countries hardest hit by climate change andsea level rise.

Therefore, the country is in needof both policy consultancy and financial aid from the internationalcommunity, including the WB, for securing sustainable development, hesaid.

He also suggested that the institutionconsider further support for Vietnam in poverty reduction among ethnicminority groups, afforestation in coastal areas and hospital overloadsettlement, while boosting cooperation in public-private partnership(PPP), especially in transportation infrastructure projects.

Vietnam also hopes to get access to other capital sources from the WB, PM Dung added.

The WB President said Vietnam is one of the two countriesreceiving such a large loan from his institution, pledging to mobiliseall possible sources to aid the country.

The WBhopes to coordinate with other development partners of Vietnam ,including the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in order toensure the effective use of assistance, he said.

Theexecutive clarified that the bank is keen on strengthening partnershipwith Vietnam in the state-owned enterprises’ restructuring, PPP, climatechange adaptation, new energy resources, health care and socialwelfare.

He said the WB will consider PM Dung’sproposals and add them to the Strategy Report until 2030 that it isbuilding with Vietnam .

The same day, both hostand guest witnessed the signing of an 876 million USD loan agreement forfive programmes and projects relating to national economycompetitiveness, electricity, urban development, healthcare personneland climate change response.

At a press conferenceheld later, PM Dung said Vietnam highly values the IDA loans for2014-2017 and vowed to disburse the capital in a rapid and effectivemanner.

Kim stated that the WB will continuestanding side by side with Vietnam during its path of becoming anindustrialised country.

The development story of Vietnam should be shared worldwide, he added.

Both sides said they believe that with their joint efforts, the Vietnam-WB ties will be elevated to a new height.-VNA

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