Vietnam, WB address bottlenecks in project implementation
Hanoi (VNA) – Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang
lauded the World Bank (WB) for its continued support in mobilising funding for development
projects in Vietnam at a reception in Hanoi on March 13 for WB
Country Director Carolyn Turk.
Quang suggested that both sides continue working
closely together to overcome difficulties in the implementation and completion
of projects using WB’s loans.
Since
1993, the WB has allocated about 25 billion USD in concessional loans to
Vietnam, along with technical assistance and policy consultation, contributing
significantly to national socioeconomic development.
Both
sides reviewed the current state of the WB’s projects in Vietnam, especially since
the establishment of a task force in charge of stepping up their progress led
by Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment Tran Quoc Phuong.
According
to the Ministry of Planning and Investment, major barriers hindering project
approval stem from differences in compensation policies, land clearance and complaint
settlement mechanism between Vietnam and the WB.
To address these
obstacles, the Vietnamese side proposed negotiating and signing a framework
agreement to harmonise procedures between Vietnam and the WB, with a specific focus
on compensation, land clearance and complaint settlement mechanisms.
Turk,
for her part, expressed the WB’s willingness to engage in further discussions
with Vietnam regarding this proposal.
The WB highly
values its relationship with Vietnam and considers Vietnam a critically
important partner, she said./.