The Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) is searching for the best scenarios for the country’s foreign direct investments (FDI), on the back of international analysts’ predictions that a rebound could be postponed until 2011.

The Prime Minister has just agreed to use the preferential credit package funded by Finland Government within the framework of the Agreement signed on 11 May 2003 between the Ministry of Finance (Vietnam) and BNP Paribas Bank for the project “Improving and upgrading equipments synchronizing with the miniSCADA project” in four cities of the Central Vietnam: Hue, Danang, Quy Nhon, Buon Me Thuot with the total ODA loan of USD2.277 million.

In Jan-May, Winvest Investment Ltd Co increased by USD3.8 billion in Saigon Atlantis Hotel multi-functional resort in Ba Ria Vung Tau and other FDI projects were added few tens of million of US dollar.

International donors have so far this year provided 1.467 billion USD in official development assistance (ODA) capital to Vietnam, of which 720 million USD has already been disbursed, according to the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI).

The Facility for Infrastructure Development is funded by the Dutch Minister for Development Cooperation to encourage public infrastructure development in developing countries.

Japan has committed to providing up to 83.2 billion JPY (roughly 900 million USD) in ODA for Vietnamto implement four projects to further improve transport infrastructure and the environment.
The notes pertaining to the loan were signed by Japanese Ambassador to Vietnam Matsuo Sakaba and Minister of Planning and Investment Vo Hong Phuc in Hanoi on March 31.

The Department of Planning and Investment of Binh Dinh Province (DPI) has just sent the report on Binh Dinh’s ODA implementation of 2008 to the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI). In general, the implementation progress of almost ODA projects in the province exceeded the target set in 2008.

In the afternoon of 25/11/2008, Chairman Nguyen Van Thien of the Provincial People’s Committee welcomed and has a working session with Mr James Kember, New Zealand Ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary in Vietnam, together with a delegation of Ms Margie Lowe - newly appointed Director of NZAID (New Zealand Agency for International Development) and other members. As for the province, joining the meeting are the leadership representatives of the Departments of Planning and Investment, Heath, Argriculture and Rural Development, Education and Training, provincial Red Cross and the office of the provincial People’s Committee. 

According to the reports by the ODA project management boards Binh Dinh province, the disbursement plan of ODA capital in the third quarter 2008 is VND135.826 billion. However, the actual disbursement rate only made up 23.3% of the total. The ODA projects had the high disbursement rate including: Maternal and child health project (VIE/03/P20); Primary education project for disadvantaged children (PEDC); Lower secondary education development project; Project of Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC); Rural Electricity II project (RE II). The remaining projects had the low disbursement rate (Integrated Rural Development Project in the Central Provinces; Forest Sector Development Project; Quy Nhon City environmental sanitation project and etc).

The Ministry of Planning and Investment has just submitted the dispatch No. 5794/BKH-KTDN, dated 11 August 2008, to the Prime Minister for approval on the “SOS Children’s Village Quy Nhon, Binh Dinh Province” project worth VND52,507.3 million (USD3,231,218). The International Organization of SOS Children's Villages will provide the project with non-refundable aid of VND41,727.3 million (USD2,567,834) and the correspondent capital of VND10,780 million (USD663,384) will be allocated from the State budget of Binh Dinh Province.

The Norwegian Government and the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) will finance 5.2 million USD for the first phase of a project on technical assistance for business registration reform in Vietnam

The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the Da Nang city People’s Committee have jointly held a meeting to discuss a development strategy to link Da Nang and its adjacent provinces.

As directed by the Prime Minister of the Government on building a professional and stable team of ODA project managers and within the framework of the Comprehensive Capacity Building Programme on ODA management, the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) will organize a training course on ODA project management for civil servants of ODA project management boards in the highland provinces and Binh Dinh Province within 5 days (from 30/06 - 04/07/2008) in Quy Nhon City.