JICA says ODA for Vietnam to fall on recovery
By Thuy Nguyen - The Saigon Times Daily
HANOI – The total amount of Japan’s official development assistance (ODA) for Vietnam will probably fall in 2010 compared to that pledged for last year as Vietnam has recovered from the global downturn, said Tsuno Motonori, chief representative of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in Vietnam.
Last year, Japan pledged a record ODA level of over 202 billion yen (some US$2.2 billion) for Vietnam, including US$500 million to back the Government’s stimulus package and help the nation overcome adverse impacts of the global economic downturn, he said at a review meeting in Hanoi on Monday.
Explaining the reduction in ODA funds this year, Motonori said Japan expected that Vietnam would not need urgent assistance in 2010. However, the ODA amount of other common types for Vietnam may be higher than in 2009, he said.
Vietnam has to pay from 20 to 30 billion Japanese yen each year for loans provided by Japan earlier, according to JICA. Japan is confident about Vietnam’s credit solvency following assessment of the International Monetary Fund, Motonori added.
JICA will continue to expand major projects in Vietnam this year such as a new terminal for the Noi Bai International Airport, the North-South Expressway, the Hoa Lac Hi-Tech Park and Lach Huyen Port in Haiphong City.
The agency will also speed up projects underway including Nhat Tan Bridge in Hanoi, the East-West Highway project in HCMC, and Can Tho Bridge. It will also bolster cooperation to help Vietnam cope with climate change.