Chief Representative of JICA Vietnam Office, SHIMIZU Akira gave a lecture at VJU on the topic of ODA

On March 18, 2021, Chief Representative of JICA Vietnam Office, SHIMIZU Akira gave a lecture at VJU on the topic of ODA – Official Development Aids.

80% of the countries of the world today are developing countries. With various development circumstances, these countries face different problems related to environment, diseases, lack of clean water, food security, inadequate infrastructure, lack of schools and hospitals… It is necessary that countries need to work together to maintain peace and advance development in the world where developed countries support the developing ones in dealing with their own issues.

ODA (Official Development Assistance) is a form of cooperation between developed and developing countries in which grants or loans with preferential conditions are offered to developing countries for their economic development and welfare improvement. These loans is offered at low interest rate and some is of non-refund. Viet Nam received ODA from Japan from 1954.

According to official data from JICA, Japan supports Viet Nam with the largest ODA with a total approved loan from 1992 to 2019 of 2700 trillion yen, over 70% of which is used for infrastructure construction. ODA from Japan to Vietnam aims to achieve 3 goals (1) Growth and competitiveness enhancement; (2) Vulnerable groups support; (3) Governance improvement. So far, Viet Nam has built 3309 km of roads, 287 bridges, 5 seaports and 2 international airports along with 3 urban railway lines (Railway No. 1, No. 2 in Ha Noi) and (Line 1 under construction in Ho Chi Minh city). In vulnerable groups support, ODA is used to support key hospitals such as Bach Mai, Hue Central hospital and Cho Ray hospital.

In addition, ODA has imprinted its role in some areas such as improvement in policies on climate change and disaster prevention; water drainage systems in big cities; narrowing urban and rural gaps through access to financial social services; preventing human trafficking; improving farmers’ livelihoods; promoting ethnic minorities participation… In enterprise promotion, Japan and Vietnam promote interconnection with private enterprises to do survey and deploy investment; and support Japanese businesses to invest in Viet Nam as well.

With the aim of contributing to the world peace and prosperity, Japan continues to build a sincere relationship of trust with ASEAN countries, and make efforts to ensure peace and prosperity of the countries including Viet Nam.

[Plan for “Lecture Series Commemorating PM SUGA’s Visit to VJU: Internship 1”] The lectures in colored columns have been already delivered.