Belgium will continue providing ODA for Vietnam in coming year with an average amount of $30 million each year, Belgian Ambassador Bruno Angelel affirmed. Belgium will help Vietnam improve its policies to facilitate local business development, especially small-and medium-sized ones, Bruno said. The European country will also give more funds to non-governmental organizations, operating in the fields of labor, rural development and community health in Vietnam. Belgium is also the donor of a climate change adaption project which is being carried out in provinces of Ninh Thuan, Binh Thuan and Ha Tinh. Trade between Vietnam and Belgium has strongly developed over the past ten years and stood at $234.07 million in the first two months of this year, including the former’s trade surplus of $132 million. Vietnam needs around $30 billion in ODA in the next five years though it has become a middle-income country. The ODA is one of the key sources of dollars for Vietnam, after exports, foreign direct investment (FDI) and remittances. However, Veteran Journalist and Economist, Tran Trong Thuc urged Vietnam to reduce the use of ODA to improve efficiency and avoid a debt burden in the future.
ODA disbursements in Vietnam are lower than the world’s average. Vietnam disbursed $28 billion out of $64 billion in ODA by the end of last year, including $3.5 billion in 2010. (Kinh Te Vietnam & The Gioi – Vietnam & World Economy Nov 11 p2)
