Vietnam Needs Extra $173M for School Consolidation Scheme: Gov’t

The government of Vietnam has proposed the National Assembly (NA) allow it to provide an additional VND3.7 trillion (nearly $173 million) worth of g-bonds to complete the 2011-2015 school consolidation scheme. Minister of Planning and Investment Bui Quang Vinh said that the country has so far completed just 66% of the scheme due to capital difficulties. The funding will be used to build 2,627 classrooms and 2,658 public houses for pre-school teachers in poor districts, he added. In 2012, the government spent VND1.6 trillion on the scheme in an effort to further improve the training quality. Chairman of the NANguyen Sinh Hung has, however, not agreed to the proposal, asking the ministry to work with the NA Committee for Financial and Budgetary Affairs on the allocation of g-bond funds for the scheme. Mr. Hung explained that due to the state budget constraints, the country would firstly provide VND2 trillion worth of g-bonds for school consolidation, while the proposed capital for public house projects will be considered later. Vietnam disbursed VND630 billion for education projects in 2014, down 7.4% from 2013, according the government’s General Statistics Office (GSO). (Dau Tu – Investment Mar 2 p6)