Accelerating ODA disbursement
The pace of disbursement of official development assistance (ODA) picked up by over 46% on-year in the first six months of 2014 to US$3.2 billion, meeting 58.7% of the year’s annual target.
Most notably, capital disbursement of World Bank (WB)’s loans hit a record high of more than US$1 billion during the reviewed period.
In a bid to further accelerate disbursements, Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai has urged all agencies and ministries to reassess ODA-funded projects, including projects using preferential loans, to identify those falling behind schedule and take remedial action.
Despite the improvement, obstacles continue to hamper disbursement of ODA across sectors and localities, said Hai.
For instance, the number of projects in transportation, energy and urban development is higher than in health care, education and training, information, labour, and social affairs. Similarly, ODA disbursements in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City are higher than other localities.
 |
Hai asked ministries, departments and localities to improve the quality of project appraisal work to minimise adjustments and changes during the implementation process to avoid waste, while carrying out comprehensive measures to raise the quality and performance efficiency.
He also authorised the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MoPI) to coordinate with the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the State Bank of Vietnam and relevant agencies to monitor and manage the use of ODA and preferential loans.
Deputy PM Hai also gave out specific directions for several key projects which are slow going, such as Noi Bai-Lao Cai Highway, Hanoi Urban Railway Construction Project (Line 1) (Gia Lam-Ngoc Hoi), Trung Son hydroelectric power plant and Renewable Energy Development Project.
