The Japanese government and some Osaka firms are studying methods for building railways in big cities in Vietnam to reduce traffic jams at the cities, the Dien dan Doanh nghiep newspaper reported Nov 30. Companies from Japan’s Osaka will seek official development assistance (ODA) for these projects, Shigetaka Sato, Chairman & CEO, Keihan Electric Railway Co., Ltd and Chairman, Osaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry said. Traffic jam is a pressing issue in big Vietnamese cities, especially in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam is keen on building short railways to connect the centers and economic centers, Chairman of Chamber of Industry and Trade, Vu Tien Loc said. The Southeast Asian country is in dire need of capital for developing infrastructure projects nationwide. The country needs $16 billion for infrastructure transport projects a year; however, it can afford half of that figure. The Japanese government provided a total of $19 billion in ODA for Vietnam by end-2009, while Japanese firms have poured $20.55 billion into 1,260 projects in Vietnam so far. (dddn.com.vn Nov 30)
