From July next year, ODA funds received by the country will only be allocated to provinces facing difficulties and for programmes to improve public welfare and eliminate hunger and poverty.
Nhat Tan bridge in Hanoi- a project funded by Japanese ODA (Source: VNA)
HCM City (VNA) – From July next year, ODA (official development assistance) funds received by the country will only be allocated to provinces facing difficulties and for programmes to improve public welfare and 🅰eliminate hunger and poverty rat🔯her than for large infrastructure projects, according to the Ministry of Finance.
Head of the ministry's Debt Management and External Finance Department, Truong Hung Long, said the use of ODA by many faced shortcomings like lack of counterpart capital and slow progress.
Ninety percent of projects were extended at least once, leading to cost overruns — of billions of dollars in some cases — he told a seminar in HCM City on January 8.
Therefore, a sound legal framework for managing and effectively using foreign loans by localities would be created soon, he said.
An official from the HCM City Department of Finance said with the limited funds provided by the Government, it is imperative to mobilise domestic and foreign funds for infrastructure development.
The city wants a separate mechanism for capital mobilisation and favourable conditions for the issuance of government bonds in foreign currencies, he said.
Nguyen Xuan Thao, Deputy Head of the Debt Management and External Finance Department, said only 13 localities can balance their budgets while the remaining 50 get funds from the Government.
In the decade since 2004 the Government allotted 35 percent of ODA and preferential loans, or 15.5 billion USD, to provinces and cities, who used 38 percent of it to develop infrastructure, she said.-VNA
The Prime Minister issued a modified list of projects eligible for the official development assistance (ODA) capital plan from the State budget in 2015 for ministries and localities.
The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has presented the JICA President Award to three transport projects funded by Japanese ODA that have formed a new international gateway in Hanoi.
The Japanese government will provide over 320,000 USD in official development assistance for five projects in transport and health care in southern localities.
As of June 17, Ca Mau province had achieved its target of supporting the construction and renovation of 4,400 homes, with a total budget of over 235 billion VND (about 9 million USD).
Chairman of the Vietnam Journalists’ Association (VJA) Le Quoc Minh has called for technology to be leveraged not to replace identity, but to enhance it—allowing Vietnamese journalism to reach both local and global audiences.
In recent years, with strong support from the Party and State, and building on its tradition as a heroic news agency, the VNA has not only actively participated in OANA but also proactively proposed various ideas for cooperation, helping shape a fresh image of effective media collaboration in the digital era, said VNA General Director Vu Viet Trang.
The education sector has been one of the foundations playing a vital role in deepening Vietnam – New Zealand ties, said Prof. Damon Salesa, Vice-Chancellor of the Auckland University of Technology (AUT).
Tien Giang province has addressed the housing needs of 608 poor, near-poor, and policy-beneficiary families facing housing difficulties. Of these, 370 houses were newly constructed while 238 underwent major renovations.
Dr Pham Minh Hung from the University of Economics and Business under Vietnam National University, Hanoi, said the fixed-term contract mechanism is a correct step, liberating the entire system from traditional constraints which have long stood in the way of innovation.
The partnership will focus on studying and recommending LRT routes that connect the city’s transport network with urban development zones, industrial parks, and TOD areas. The research will cover Thu Dau Mot city and surrounding areas, with completion scheduled before August 15, 2025.
Media must not only serve as a channel for information but also act as a vanguard in shaping public opinion, combating misinformation, upholding the Party’s ideological principles, and reinforcing unity between Vietnam and Laos.
In Vietnam, the voluntary blood donation movement was first launched on January 24, 1994. In 2008, the Prime Minister established the National Steering Committee for Voluntary Blood Donation.
Currently, 20 Vietnamese citizens remain in Iran, including embassy staff and personnel. All are safe, mentally stable, and in regular contact with the embassy.
A VietnamPlus survey of 764 young people shows that 83.9% of Gen Z use smartphones to read news, only 12% use computers, and the rest access content via tablets.
GVB Startup 2025 attracted the participation of nearly 150 individuals and organisations from across Vietnam. The event seeks to promote bold and ambitious startup ideas and projects, contributing to the future of global innovation, and supporting startups through the provision of resources, networking opportunities, and market insights.
AI could not replace human judgment in verifying information and sensitive political events, and that humans remain the final gatekeepers of content, said Leonid Kovachich, head of the Asian department at Sputnik's international broadcasting division.
A veteran journalist of Argentina has praised the modern evolution of Vietnam’s press, which now serves a dual purpose: introducing Vietnam to the world while bringing global perspectives to domestic audiences.
The court announced that Quyet had submitted a written request to be tried in absentia, citing serious health issues. According to an official statement from Hospital 19/8, the defendant is suffering from multiple illnesses, experiencing fatigue and shortness of breath, with doctors warning of a “very high risk of death.”
A senior Party official highlighted the VNA’s consistent role over the past eight decades, noting that it remains a mainstream, uninterrupted, timely, accurate, and authoritative source of news that helps shape public opinion, strengthen public trust, and safeguard the ideological foundation of the Party.
Dr. Kobelev, born in 1938 in Ulyanovsk, was among the first Soviet scholars to specialise in Vietnam. As a former TASS correspondent during the war in Vietnam, he worked closely with Vietnamese institutions and later helped found Russia’s Centre for Vietnamese and ASEAN Studies.
Nhat Tan bridge in Hanoi- a project funded by Japanese ODA (Source: VNA)
