Vietnam to Prioritize ODA for Infrastructure, Manpower, Climate Change by 2020

The prime minister has approved a plan on using and managing official development assistance (ODA) and soft loans in the 2016-2020 period, prioritizing funding for infrastructure, human resource and climate change. The ODA is expected to help boost socio-economic development and improve state management, science-technology research, environmental protection and green growth and public-private partnership (PPP) projects. The development aid is one of the key sources of dollars for Vietnam after exports, foreign direct investment (FDI) and remittances. Experts, however, advise Vietnam to reduce the use of ODA to avoid a debt burden in the future. International donors pledged to provide Vietnam with nearly $80 billion in development aid, of which 65% has been disbursed, according to the Ministry of Planning and Investment. (baodautu.vn Jan 30)