The State Bank of Vietnam on Dec 3 assigned a number of commercial banks to arrange loans from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) for several clean water supply projects across the country by 2019. State-owned Vietnam Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Agribank) will arrange loans for a fresh water supply project in the central province of Thua Thien-Hue and the northern city of Haiphong. Unlisted LienViet Post Joint Stock Commercial Bank (LienVietPostBank) will cover a similar project in the central city of Danang, while Vietnam Joint Stock Commercial Bank for Industry and Trade (VietinBank) will serve a similar one in Daklak, Quang Tri and Binh Duong provinces. Vietnam Prosperity JS Commercial Bank (VPBank) was assigned to arrange an $883,000 grant from ADB for a project on improving livelihoods of the locals in the central province of Quang Tri. The three water projects are part of a program on developing Vietnam’s water sector using $212 million loans from the ADB. The loan will mature in 25 years with a grace period of six years. So far 80% of Vietnamese population has access to clean water and the Southeast Asian country will need VND138.5 trillion to build more water supply plants from now to 2020. (http://www.sbv.gov.vn [1] Dec 3, http://dddn.com.vn [2] Dec 4, http://cafef.vn [3] Dec 4)
