Conference seeks NGOs’ financial assistance for Thanh Hoa

Speaking at the event, Vice Chairwoman of the provincial People’s Committee Le Thi Thin said Thanh Hoa lies in a gateway between the north and central of Vietnam with railway, road, waterway and aviation infrastructure. 

As a poor province with limited internal resources, Thanh Hoa always heeds external economic activities to attract foreign resources, focusing on calling for official development assistance and foreign NGOs’ aid, she said, adding that the province now records 84 valid foreign-invested projects with a total investment of over 13.98 million USD. 

The Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations has also listed Thanh Hoa among the top localities nationwide that has effectively used foreign NGOs’ aid. 

Over the past decade, the total financial assistance provided by foreign NGOs has hit 78.96 million USD via more than 300 projects. Up to 7.9 million USD on average was disbursed each year. In the first half of this year, 3.5 million USD has been disbursed. 

The projects are mostly in agriculture, rural development, poverty reduction, capacity improvement, health care, education, environment protection, natural disaster mitigation and climate change response. 

Many projects funded by NGOs have been productive and spread to many localities such as a children-oriented education model by the World Vision in seven mountainous and disadvantaged districts, the trans-generation mutual support club by Help Age. 

Thinh urged foreign NGOs in Vietnam to assist Thanh Hoa’s sustainable socio-economic development and pledged all possible support to their projects. 

Phan Anh Son, head of the VUFO’s People’s Aid Coordinating Committee said in the past five years, VUFO together with ministries, agencies, localities and partners effectively carried out the national programme on foreign aid mobilisation for the 2013-2017 period. The framework programme for 2017-2022 have been devised. 

Participants at the event discussed potentials and strengths of Thanh Hoa, local demand for foreign capital and aid. 

On the occasion, the provincial authorities signed memoranda of understanding with foreign partners and presented decisions approving projects using NGOs’ aid.