Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has approved a project on developing urban areas along Mekong sub-region with $130 million fund from the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the government said on its website. The $147.2 million project to last for six years from January 2013 will focus on expanding urban roads; building embankments, waste water treatment plants; and upgrading river wharfs, the government said. The project on Vietnam’s southern coastal corridor which lies in the Mekong delta where is home to a dense network of waterways and navigable canals will benefit residents in transport, one of main factors help boost the socio-economic development. Vietnam has 13 provinces including centrally-governed city Can Tho lies in the Mekong delta with roughly 17 million or 20% of the country’s total population. This region needs more investment due to economic difficulties. (Thoi Bao Kinh Te - Economic Times June 18 p2, Chinhphu.vn June 15)
