Japan and the U.S. have agreed to provide aid for infrastructure development projects in Vietnam and other Southeast Asian countries under public-private partnership (PPP) model. The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) will cooperate with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to assist all phases of the infrastructure development projects in Southeast Asia, from planning to designing, purchasing, construction and management. JICA and USAID also plan to carry out the first cooperative project in Vietnam and submit to the Vietnamese government a plan to establish an investment fund in 2012. JICA will set up a fund worth $400 - $500 million in Mar, 2012 to support PPP projects. USAID will guarantee 50% of loans for projects which use capital from the fund and seek cooperation from financial organizations in Vietnam and the U.S. The projects will focus on power plants, energy establishment, information and telecommunications, roads, and transport, and water supply and drainage systems. The two foreign agencies will also help other countries in the region, such as Indonesia, the Philippines, Laos and Cambodia. (vovnews.vn Jul 28)
