Vietnam used more than US$22 billion in official development assistance (ODA) in the five years ending 2015 but another US$22 billion was left unused, says a Government report to the National Assembly (NA).

Disbursements of ODA and concessional loans made significant progress in 2011-2015, according to the report which Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung represented the Government to present at the NA.

The amounts of ODA and preferential loans disbursed in the period were estimated at US$22.32 billion, or US$4.46 billion per year. This disbursement rate was 1.6 times higher than in 2006-2010, Dung said.

However, the report said nearly US$22 billion of ODA and preferential credit was not used in the period and ascribed this situation to a poor absorption rate.

The total amount of aid signed in 2011-2015 was more than US$27.9 billion, of which ODA and preferential credit amounted to US$26.5 billion and grants were US$1.6 billion.

The group of six development banks -- ADB, AFD, JICA, KfW, Kexim and WB -- remained dominant. The total ODA and concessional loans signed with these donors reached US$26.3 billion in 2011-2015.

In the period, 904 projects were completed, with 556 of them funded by loans and 348 by grants.

Transport infrastructure made up the highest proportion of aid, with over US$9.9 billion signed, accounting for 35.68% of the total. Multiple projects of national importance have been financed by this source of capital, such as Noi Bai-Lao Cai Expressway, HCMC-Long Thanh-Dau Giay Expressway, Vinh Thinh Bridge, Nhat Tan Bridge, Nhat Tan-Noi Bai road, and international passenger terminal T2 at Noi Bai airport.

In the field of energy and industry, ODA and preferential loans totaling about US$4.8 billion were signed. As for environment (including water supply and drainage, climate change and green growth) and urban development, the total aid signed in 2011-2015 was some US$5.2 billion.

Regarding agriculture and rural development combined with poverty reduction, more than US$2.6 billion was agreed on. In healthcare and social areas, deals were signed for a total of US$1.3 billion.

The education and training sector got US$930 million in ODA and preferential loans in 2011-2015. In science-technology, institutional capacity strengthening and human resource development, over US$3 billion was approved.

SGT