PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc presided over a meeting on ODA management and preferential loans on March 8 in Ha Noi.

The event drew the attendance of Deputy PMs Pham Binh Minh and Vuong Dinh Hue.
Participants to the meeting agreed that ODA-sourced projects and programs should focus their ODA on development investment not on regular spending. However, some delegates expressed their concerns over the definition of regular spending and development investment.
A number of the participants said that spending in development investment relates to infrastructure building (or physical part) while “soft part” refers to projects on competence enhancement, technical assistance especially in healthcare and education which should be regarded as investment costs for development investment.  
Addressing the event, PM Phuc emphasized the role of ODA in socio-economic development, especially in infrastructure development and improvement of the apparatus.
The PM stressed the importance of both infrastructure and “soft part.”
The Government chief asked for tightening management and effective spending of ODA loans including projects on technical assistance; minimizing unnecessary expenditures especially automobile procurement.
He also asked for clear criteria on development investment and regular spending in ODA projects.
The Ministry of Finance was assigned to collect comments from other ministries and agencies to craft a directive of the Government on ODA in the new period./.
Source: chinhphu.vn