Despite significant growth in disbursement of ODA (official development
assistance) loans from Japan in recent years, the work has been
hindered by site clearance-related issues, the Japan International
Co-operation Agency (JICA) has said.
Speaking at a press
meeting in Hanoi on Jan 13, the chief representative of JICA in
Vietnam , Tsuno Monotori, said disbursement of Japan 's ODA loans for
Vietnam amounted to 90 billion yen (690 million USD) in 2010 fiscal
year and was likely to be 95 billion yen (725 million ) in the 2011
fiscal year ending March 2012.
"We've wished to boost
co-operation with Vietnamese partners to speed up the delayed projects
(funded by Japan 's ODA loans)," Monotori was quoted by the Lao Dong
(Labour) newspaper as saying.
He said total ODA loans from
Japan for projects in Vietnam in the 2011 fiscal year is expected to
exceed the record of 150 billion yen (1.5 billion USD at the then
exchange rate) provided by the Japanese Government in 2009.
In 2011, significant achievements were attained in projects funded by
Japanese ODA, such as the HCM City East-West Highway Project, including
the Thu Thiem Tunnel under Sai Gon River that opened to traffic
in November 2011.
"The 1.5 billion USD ODA loans from
Japan for Vietnam in the fiscal year 2011 is testimony to the
enhanced strategic partnership (between Japan and Vietnam ) that was
affirmed during the official visit made by PM Nguyen Tan Dung to Japan
in 2011," said Monotori.
He said necessary formalities
has been performed in preparation for the signing of contracts for ODA
loans for Vietnam in March 2012. These include loans for the Hoa Lac
Hi-tech Park, the T2 Terminal at Noi Bai Airport , the
construction of National Highway No 3, and projects of afforestation and
upgrading provincial and regional hospitals.
According to
Nguyen Phu Binh, former Ambassador of Vietnam in Japan, these ODA loans
amount to 1.2 billion USD, bringing total amount of Japanese ODA loans
to Vietnam in the 2011 fiscal year (ending March 2012) to a record high
of 2.4 billion USD.s
As Vietnam has become a
middle-income country, Japan will like to focus on the PPP
(Public-Private Partnership) investment model over others that have been
tried thus far.
The projects for developing
infrastructure facilities at the Lach Huyen Port in the north, including
those to build approach roads and piers at the port, will be funded by
Japanese ODA loans while the port equipment will be acquired with
capital raised by Japanese and Vietnamese companies.
In
2011, JICA studied the feasibility for 10 PPP projects in Vietnam
including infrastructure for the Long Thanh International Port
in Dong Nai Province , the Urban Railway Project in Hanoi and
the Hanoi Water Supply Project.
"Through the PPP
investment model, Japan and Vietnam can become equal partners in
mutually assiting each other for development," Lao Dong quoted Motoroni
as saying.
However, Japan will continue to provide ODA loans to meet Vietnam 's demand for infrastructure development, he said.
To catch up with other middle-income nations, Vietnam needs to make
great efforts in policy making, infrastructure development, and human
resources development, Motoroni added./.
