The U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on public procurements with the Public Procurement Agency (PPA) of Vietnam. The country partnership, which is established under the Global Procurement Initiative: Understanding Best Value (GPI), is aimed to provide training and technical assistance to help the government of Vietnam conduct effective public procurements. By promoting strategic, long-term infrastructure investments, the Procurement Assistance Program will increase international competition and facilitate improved development outcomes in Vietnam. “This program is an invaluable step in strengthening economic ties between the United States and Vietnam,” Andrea Lupo, USTDA’s director for global programs, said at the signing ceremony on Aug 4. “It comes at a critical time when Vietnam is assessing its current procurement practices in order to enhance its infrastructure investments and improve development outcomes. U.S. companies see the revised procurement law as a signal of Vietnam’s encouragement of fair and transparent international competition,” the official said. Under the partnership, USTDA kicked off a series of technical procurement trainings in Hanoi, Danang and Ho Chi Minh City for 150 public procurement officials. Officials from the George Washington University Law School’s Government Procurement Law Program will join the program while experts from the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank will attend the program as observers. This program helps Vietnam lead a more effective, results-driven system of public procurement. (vietnam.usembassy.gov Aug 4, Lao Dong Aug 5 p3)
