Vietnam is still facing difficulties in ensuring the counter funding for ODA transport projects, leading to sluggish implementation.

Eric Sidgwick pledges more ADB support for transport projects

Deputy Transport Minister Nguyen Ngoc Dong said at last week's meeting with Eric Sidgwick, country director of the Vietnam Resident Mission of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), that though many projects have been approved, they could not be developed because they have not been listed in the mid-term investment plan.

For example, many packages of the Ben Luc-Long Thanh Expressway project have not yet access ADB loans which may cause difficulties for it to be completed in 2019.

According to Sidgwick, Vietnam is getting a huge part in the ADB's investment portfolio in Southeast Asia.

Talking about ADB's list of programmes and projects in Vietnam, an ADB representative said there are more than 60 projects in Vietnam worth over $9 billion, of which those in the transport sector make up 30 per cent. The total un-disbursed sum is $4.65 billion, with $2.1 billion from transport projects, accounting for 46 per cent.

The projects include the Ben Luc-Long Thanh Expressway, the southern coastal corridor, Ho Chi Minh City Ring Road III, and the second upgrade of the Greater Mekong Subregion Northern transport network.

ADB asked Vietnam to accelerate the disbursement of transport projects in the coming time.

Sidgwick affirmed that the bank will continue to support MoT in its projects.

VIR