Manila, Aug 18, 2006 AEST (ABN Newswire) - A US$430,000 technical assistance (TA) grant will help create an effective and efficient regional cooperation coordination mechanism in Viet Nam.
The TA supports Government's new Socioeconomic Development Plan for Viet Nam, 2006-2010, and promotes ADB's new Country and Strategy and Program for 2007-2010, which pursues regional cooperation and integration as an important pillar in their strategic thrusts.
Given its strategic location, Viet Nam stands to gain from harnessing opportunities available through regional cooperation, such as increased trade and investment through better infrastructure links and expanded markets.
The country's participation in regional cooperation activities has expanded over the years. However, these activities are exerting immense pressure on the current limited capacity of the country.
The Regional Cooperation National Secretariat (RCNS), the national focal point for coordinating all non-political regional cooperation activities in the country, has limited institutional and human resources. As a result, the full scale of benefits from regional cooperation is not realized.
"Strengthening and expanding Viet Nam's capacity for regional cooperation coordination will be a key challenge facing the Government in implementing its new socioeconomic development plan," says Christopher Hnanguie, the Programs Economist responsible for the TA project.
"This will even be more compelling in the coming years as regional economic integration gains momentum in Southeast Asia."
The TA will thus work on strengthening RCNS by analyzing the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of Viet Nam's regional cooperation arrangements; drafting a regional cooperation road map; establishing information resources centers on regional cooperation; and carrying out training programs for staff.
It will also support a more efficient public investment planning and resource allocation process by identifying the strengths and weaknesses of current practices, best practices to follow from other countries, and changes needed.
The Government will contribute $105,000 equivalent toward the project's total estimated cost of $535,000. The Ministry of Planning and Investment is the executing agency for the project, which will be carried out over 18 months.
Contact
Floyd Whaley
Email: fwhaley@adb.org
Tel:+632 632 6848; Mobile: +63 920 938 6488
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