Ministry Seeks Vietnam Govt Approval for $153M WB-funded Transport Project

Vietnam’s Ministry of Transport has proposed the government approve a project to enhance transport connectivity in the Central Highlands with funding from the World Bank (WB). The project will require a cost of $153.8 million, including $150 million from the WB. It is designed to upgrade 126 kilometers of road on National Highway 19, and build bypasses on the highway running through Binh Dinh and Gia Lai province, An Khe township and Pleiku city. At the proposal of the ministry, the project is scheduled to be carried out in the 2019-2022 period. Once operational, it will contribute to linking road system with Vietnam’s neighboring countries. The bank pledged $20.1 billion in soft loans and grants in the 1993-2015 period. Of the sum, $17.32 billion came from the International Development Association (IDA), focusing on transport, urban, agriculture, energy, education, health and policy reforming projects, according to the Ministry of Planning and Investment. The WB has announced it would stop offering preferential official development assistance (ODA) to Vietnam from July 2017 as it has fully achieved the status of a middle-income country. (baodautu.vn Feb 2, vfpress.vn Feb 2)