[ingodirectors] REQUEST for Inputs to INGO Statement at VDPF 2015

[Marko Lovrekovic]

Dear INGO directors,

Please share your thoughts, comments and inputs for the INGO Statement 
at the 2015 Vietnam Development Partnership Forum (VDPF). The forum is 
tentatively scheduled for 3 December 2015, which leaves us with only 
three weeks left to prepare the statement.

This year marks the end of implementation of the 2010-2015 
Socio-Economic Development Plan (SEDP) and the preparation for the next 
5-year plan. Although the agenda has not been finalised, the VDPF will 
most likely begin with a broad strategic discussion on macro-economic 
situation and global context. The second session of the VDPF will 
provide a platform for a discussion of Development Partners' views on 
Vietnam's achievements in the last five years in the three breakthrough 
areas of SEDP:

- Market institutions
- Infrastructure
- Human resources development

1. MARKET INSTITUTIONS

a) Strengthening the institutional foundations of market economy to 
improve market efficiency
- Further improve economic freedom to promote investment and innovation
- Projecting property rights, reducing transaction costs and 
strengthening contract enforcement
- Promoting competition as a central pillar of market economy
- Improving transparency and public information disclosure

b) Building institutions for social cohesion and inclusiveness
- Promoting private sector investment in public services
- Promoting the role of community organizations and civil society

c) Building a modem, effective state to support market economy
- Stronger coordination mechanism to develop and implement reform 
programs effectively
- Professionalisation of the bureaucratic system - separation of 
functions: Policy analysis vs. legal drafting; Policy and law-making vs. 
provision of public administration services: Business vs. 
social/political responsibilities of SOEs

2. INFRASTRUCTURE -- NEW IDEAS FOR INFRASTRUCTURE FINANCING IN VIETNAM

Vietnam's infrastructure investment needs are estimated at around 10-11% 
of GDP per year from 2014 through 2020, equivalent to about $20 billion 
in 2015 alone. Traditionally infrastructural projects in Vietnam have 
been financed largely from the government budget and through central 
government bond investment program, and municipal bond issuance. 
Analysis has shown however that these sources are able to meet only 
around half of Vietnam's investment needs. As such, to achieve the 
objectives of the Socio-Economic Development Strategy 2010-2020 
heightened efforts will be required to attract new sources of private 
capital to invest in Vietnam's infrastructure. Public Private 
Partnerships (PPPs) have become an important part of this agenda. 
However with new projects averaging about $1.4 billion per year from 
1994 to 2012 PPP remain far below the level of funding required to meet 
the country's investment requirements. VDPF 2015 will explore Vietnam's 
use of private sector capital to fund much critical public 
infrastructure; it may offer practical ideas for expanding the use of 
PPP's and also suggest how Government may work to develop alternative 
mechanisms, such as project bond financing that has not yet been used 
for infrastructure projects in Vietnam.

3. HUMAN RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT

- Vietnam's basic education system overall produces good outcomes. 15-16 
year old students compete well globally on several measures as shown by 
last PISA-OECD test results, but higher education system is much weaker 
and is not able to deliver similar strong outcomes. Higher education 
graduates do not compete well globally.
- In addition higher education system is not delivering adequate 
research and not producing the skills required by new and emerging industry.
- What needs to be done to create a higher education system that 
produces graduates who compete well globally, provide a strong research 
base and deliver the skills needed to support Vietnam's aspirations of 
becoming a modern industrialized economy in one generation.

The current INGO representatives to VDPF —three directors from Oxfam, 
ActionAid and Marie Stopes International— will be invited to VDPF 2015. 
They may speak on your behalf and represent the INGO community in 
Vietnam during the sessions. The VUFO-NGO Resource Centre is 
coordinating preparations of the INGO Statement with the three 
representatives and we ask for your inputs. Printed copies of the final 
INGO Statement will be distributed to participants of VDPF 2015. The key 
messages from the INGO Statement may be used as talking points during 
the sessions, time permitting. Kindly note that our final document will 
be only 1 or 2 pages, including all above-mentioned themes, and your 
representatives will have maximum of 3 minutes during each session to 
share INGO views. If your projects are related to any of the 
above-mentioned themes, please send your inputs within the next 10 days, 
at the latest by 22 November 2015 to <communications at ngocentre.org.vn> 
and copy to <director at ngocentre.org.vn>.

For those of you who are not familiar with VDPF and INGO representation, 
please refer to the following link:

http://www.ngocentre.org.vn/content/vietnam-consultative-group-cg-meeting

We look forward to receiving your inputs by 22 November 2015. Thank you 
in advance.

Warm regards,

Marko

-- 
Marko Lovrekovic, Managing Co-Director
VUFO-NGO Resource Centre
Trung Tu Diplomatic Compound, Building E3
6 Dang Van Ngu, Dong Da, Hanoi, Vietnam
Phone: +84 4 3832 8570
Mobile: +84 904 191 871
Email: director at ngocentre.org.vn
Web: http://www.ngocentre.org.vn