Vietnam appreciates WB assistance
(VOV) - The government of Vietnam considers the World Bank a trusted partner in the development process, providing not only resources but also policy consulting.
At a reception for WB Country Director Victoria Kwakwa in Hanoi on August 28, Dung thanked the director for lobbying the WB and other donors to maintain preferential loans for Vietnam, especially in infrastructure development and poverty reduction.
He confirmed that Vietnam gives top priority to containing inflation, stabilising the macroeconomy and maintaining reasonable growth. It is pooling resources to restructure its economy, public investments, banks and State-owned enterprises, and these efforts have proved effective initially.
Vietnam wants to receive continued assistance and advice from the WB in this area, said Dung.
He told Kwakwa that the government has instructed relevant ministries and agencies to work harder to accelerate disbursement of WB loans, including 10 projects worth US$1.3 billion in the 2013 fiscal year.
He also appreciated the WB’s decision to include Vietnam in the list of preferential loan recipients of the International Development Association (IDA) – a member of the WB Group, to support national poverty reduction efforts.
Dung proposed both sides work on criteria for selecting feasible projects on climate change adaptation, infrastructure development, and poverty reduction.
Kwakwa spoke highly of the close and effective cooperation between the WB and Vietnam, especially in disbursing WB loans in 2013.
She proposed relevant Vietnamese agencies work closely with the WB in project appraisal and submission to effectively disburse the loans.
She assured Dung that the WB supports Vietnam’s socio-economic development and economic restructuring, as well as its efforts to settle non-performing loans among commercial banks.