VietNamNet Bridge – Overseas Vietnamese have contributed a lot to building infrastructure in the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta over the past decade and are looking for more opportunities to contribute to their homeland, representatives of the community said on Monday.

It was highlighted at the meeting that as many as 157 ferro-concrete bridges have been built in the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta provinces in the last nine years.

Speaking at a Tet (Lunar New Year) gathering of 800 people organised by the Overseas Vietnamese Business Club and the Overseas Vietnamese Association, Nguyen Van Cong, who returned to the homeland from France, said members of his VK Group will help to build more bridges in the delta and other regions.

The 76-year-old overseas Vietnamese and members of his group who stay in several countries around the world, have raised more than VND10 billion (US$476,190) for building the bridges.

Cong said he is an construction engineer who has built several high-rise buildings in Viet Nam, so the small concrete bridge is an easy task for him.

"I can build but I need money, so we need to call from support from overseas Vietnamese. This year, will build some more bridges in Hue, Lam Dong and Binh Thuan."

Explaining why he decided to join hands with other overseas Vietnamese to raise money for building bridges, Cong said 10 years ago, when attending an inauguration ceremony in the delta, he saw that the region lacks bridges.

"Now, it is a matter of time and money. It's not an exaggeration to say that we love the country and through these tasks, we want to help the people," he said.

Cong's group plans to build more than 200 bridges in Viet Nam.

On Sunday (Jan. 27), the VK group, which has around 20 people, inaugurated two bridges in Vinh Long Province's Mang Thit District.

Investment opportunity

Several people at the meeting said that in the context of global economic recession, many more Vietnamese residents of the United States, France, Germany and Eastern European countries are returning to their homeland to do business.

Overseas Vietnamese communities are a major economic and intellectual resource for Viet Nam, said Luong Bach Van, Chairwoman of Association for Liasion with Overseas Vietnamese in HCM City.

Van said that the important roles that overseas Vietnamese have played in many fields including politics, diplomacy, economy and culture have been regconised.

There are more than 4.5 million overseas Vietnamese living, working and studying in 103 countries and territories in the world.

Every year, about 500,000 overseas Vietnamese come back Viet Nam to visit families and seek investment opportunities.

Monday's gathering had put up several booths presenting investment and co-operation opportunities in many areas including the pharmaceutical industry, information technology, real estate, travel and entertainment.

Currently, overseas Vietnamese have established about 3,500 companies in Viet Nam with a total registered capital of US$8.4 billion.

Despite the ongoing economic crisis, remittances by overseas Vietnamese reached approximately US$11 billion last year, a year-on-year increase of 15 percent.

Source: VNS