Vietnam has attracted nearly $51.14 million in three foreign direct investment (FDI) projects in clean water supply and waste treatment this year, compared to $510,000 in 2012, according to the Ministry of Planning and Investment. The figure, despite marking a huge jump from last year, made up only 0.24% of the country’s total FDI of $21.628 billion during the year, the ministry said. The country attracted $1.285 billion in 31 such FDI projects as of mid-December, versus the country’s total FDI of $230.157 billion, the ministry said, adding that the field of water supply and waste treatment ranked 15th among the country’s total 18 FDI sectors. Untreated waste is a pressing issue in Vietnam, with 40% of toxic waste improperly treated and the rest being buried and recycled illegally, severely harming the environment and human health, experts said, adding that foreign investors seem not to be keen on waste treatment due to big investment requirement and slow capital recovery. (mpi.gov.vn Dec 30)
