Vietnam Signs $3.9B Foreign Loan Deals in First Eleven Months: Fin Min

Vietnam signed 39 agreements for loans and aids with total committed capital of $3.9 billion in the first eleven months of this year, the Ministry of Finance (MoF) said.The total value of the loans and aids was $3.1 million in November, the ministry noted, giving no comparative figures. Total disbursement in Vietnam reached $3.25 billion in Jan-Nov, with $227.34 million in November, fulfilling nearly 72% of the full-year target, the MoF added.The Southeast Asian country will need around $30 billion in official development assistance (ODA) in the next five years though it has become a middle-income country. ODA is one of the key sources of dollars for Vietnam, after exports, foreign direct investment (FDI) and remittances. Experts advise Vietnam to improve efficiency and reduce the use of ODA and avoid a debt burden in the future. (Kinh Te Do Thi –Economy & Urban Dec 7 p5)