Vietnam PM OKs WB-funded $200M Urban Water Supply Project

The Vietnamese Prime Minister has approved 14 sub-projects under the first phase of an urban water supply and wastewater treatment project worth $200 million to be funded by the World Bank (WB), the government said on its website Oct 4. Of the total, $150 million will be sourced from the International Development Association (IDA) and the rest from the International Bank for Restructure and Development (IBRD), both under the WB. The project’s first phase, slated for implementation from now up to 2013, will benefit the ten provinces of Quang Ninh, Ninh Binh, Nghe An, Thanh Hoa, Quang Tri, Quang Nam, Kien Giang, Lam Dong, Binh Duong and Binh Phuoc. The Ministry of Planning and Investment was assigned to continue working with the WB to build the project’s second phase, the government added. The bank pledged $2.498 billion in official development assistance (ODA) for Vietnam this year and also announced to finance over $6 billion for the country to carry out 44 programs and projects in the 2011-2013 fiscal years. (baodientu.chinhphu.vn Oct 4)