Cooperation between Da Nang and the World Bank brings high efficiency

DNO - On the afternoon of October 8, Deputy Secretary of the City Party Committee and Chairman of the City People's Committee Pham Duc An chaired a working session with the World Bank (WB) delegation led by Ms. Mariam J. Sherman, WB Director for Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos, East Asia and Pacific, and representatives of the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) to review the cooperation programs of the parties and propose new cooperation directions in the future.

Also attending were Permanent Vice Chairman of the City People's Committee Ho Ky Minh and leaders of city departments and branches.

Deputy Secretary of the City Party Committee, Chairman of the City People's Committee Pham Duc An (right) chaired the working session with the World Bank (WB) delegation. Photo: DAC MANH

According to the report of the Department of Finance, in recent times, the cooperation between Da Nang and the World Bank has brought high efficiency in all three aspects: investment in essential infrastructure (improving quality of life and urban competitiveness); institutional reform - public administration (enhancing transparency, accountability and financial and investment management capacity); innovation and digital transformation (laying the foundation for smart urban governance, modern public finance and sustainable development).

The programs and projects have complemented and inherited each other, forming a chain of positive and sustainable impacts.

Of which, the Danang City Priority Infrastructure Investment Project (PIIP) was implemented in the period 2008 - 2013, with a total adjusted investment of 252.3 million USD (IDA loan from WB accounted for about 182.4 million USD and domestic counterpart capital 69.8 million USD).

Working session scene. Photo: DAC MANH

The project helps more than 61,000 urban residents benefit from upgraded infrastructure, the rate of households connected to drainage increased from 50% to 97%, the rate of households with water supply increased from 55% to 80%.

Land prices in the project area increased, creating momentum for urban economic development. Flood control work was effective, with the flooding rate decreasing from 35% to 12.5%...

The Danang City Sustainable Development Project (SCDP) has a total initial investment of 272.135 million USD (of which ODA capital is 202.435 million USD and counterpart capital is 69.7 million USD).

Ms. Mariam J. Sherman speaks at the meeting. Photo: DAC MANH

The project completed over 33km of canals and drainage culverts; over 117km of wastewater pipes, 17 pumping stations and two large wastewater treatment plants in Hoa Xuan and Lien Chieu; nearly 500,000 people and over 500ha of urban area benefited from improved drainage systems.

The two projects PIIP and SCDP funded by the World Bank both effectively use ODA capital, bringing great investment benefits; not only improving technical infrastructure, environment and urban traffic, but also enhancing management capacity, promoting sustainable development, making an important contribution to improving people's lives; building a foundation for Da Nang to realize the strategic goal of becoming an environmental, modern and comprehensively developed city.

In addition, the Quang Nam Province (now Da Nang City) Integrated Adaptive Development Project is being implemented, funded by the World Bank with a total investment of VND 2,722.7 billion. Of which, ODA loans account for about 67.5% and counterpart funds account for about 32.5%, to be implemented in the period 2026 - 2031.

The project consists of three main components: dredging a 60km stretch of the Truong Giang River, preventing riverbank erosion; building a flood drainage complex in Tam Ky and building six new bridges and one bridge across the Truong Giang River.

The project is expected to address challenges in flood drainage and transport infrastructure connectivity, creating a foundation for sustainable development and increasing resilience to climate change.

Deputy Secretary of the City Party Committee, Chairman of the City People's Committee Pham Duc An (right) presents a souvenir to Ms. Mariam J. Sherman, Director of the World Bank for Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos, and East Asia and the Pacific. Photo: DAC MANH

In addition, the technical assistance programs, public finance reform at the local level - Da Nang city (SN-PFM) funded by the WB and SECO through the Trust Fund are implemented in Da Nang in the period 2022 - 2026 with a total committed capital of CHF 3 million. After more than two years of implementation, the program has demonstrated clear efficiency in the use of funding resources.

The Da Nang City - World Bank Joint Working Group (DWG) has demonstrated the effectiveness of the comprehensive cooperation model. The results achieved not only bring specific products, but also help improve the governance capacity, transparency and accountability of the city government.

Chairman of the City People's Committee Pham Duc An said that after the merger, Da Nang City has been expanded with a much larger population, economy and infrastructure system than before. This is an opportunity to form a new driving force of the key economic region of the Central region; at the same time, it also requires a comprehensive review and adjustment of development strategies and plans.

The Chairman of the City People's Committee hopes that, with its experience in consulting, management and assessment activities, in the coming time, the WB will continue to pay attention, cooperate and support Da Nang to focus on strategic contents including: continuing to review, update and give comments on the development of the Socio-Economic Development Plan; building an integrated development vision for Da Nang to develop in accordance with the National Development Strategy and orientation towards a smart, green and sustainable city.

Develop a medium-term fiscal and public investment plan for the 2026-2030 period; identify a list of priority projects, focusing on key areas: flood drainage and disaster resilience infrastructure, strategic transport and logistics, environmental treatment, and digital economic development.

Continue to deploy and replicate the results of the Public Finance Reform (PFM) program; integrate digital transformation, low-carbon development and circular economy into urban development orientation; promote the role of the expanded city as a service, trade and innovation center of the Central region.

Source: https://baodanang.vn/hop-tac-giua-da-nang-va-ngan-hang-the-gioi-mang-lai-hieu-qua-cao-3305761.html