Donors pledge $2.4 billion for Vietnam

Donors pledge $2.4 billion for Vietnam

Reuters, Hanoi

International donors on Saturday pledged US$2.4 billion to
support reform and development in Vietnam in the coming year --
the same amount as pledged last year. The fresh pledges were made
at an annual meeting of the World Bank-chaired Consultative Group
for Vietnam, which groups about 45 countries and donor agencies.

Donors at the two-day conference praised Vietnam's progress in
poverty reduction and in improving environment for the private
sector, but stressed that it now needed to push ahead strongly
with implementing reforms, especially in trade, the banking
sector and in ensuring good governance.

A World Bank press release said delegates had emphasized that
now was the time to convert "vision to action" and that Vietnam
needed to act to implement its broad program of structural
reforms.

"In the light of the global slowdown, Vietnam now has a window
of opportunity to act quickly to gain in competitiveness and
position itself for three decade ahead," said Andrew Speer, World
Bank country manager for Vietnam.

"In addition to gaining a reputation for stability, one of
Vietnam's key advantages, is the energy, enthusiasm and
industriousness of its people. Liberating that energy will be
crucial to Vietnam's path to prosperity."

The Belgian ambassador to Vietnam, Philippe Dartois, speaking
on behalf of the EU, said:

"An absolutely key part of the overall economic reform process
is governance....major efforts are needed to build democratic
governance in Vietnam to improve transparency and accountability
of the government to promote independence and predictability of
the judiciary, and to fight against corruption at all levels."

The was no place on the formal agenda for human rights,
despite a plea on Monday by Human Rights Watch, which said the
issue should be given equal prominence to commercial reform.

Several delegations did broach rights, however, with the
European Union welcoming improvements in individual freedoms but
expressing concern about continuing curbs on freedom of opinion
and religion, the situation of ethnic minorities, as well as the
use of the death penalty.

The U.S. paper was more oblique, saying Vietnam's economic
potential would be enhanced if all citizens, regardless of their
gender, religion or ethnicity, had the right to participate in
economic, civil and political life.