The Japanese government has provided two districts of Vietnam’s Kien Giang and Khanh Hoa Provinces with aid totaling more than US$245,000 for bridge-building projects and medical equipment.

The non-refundable aid, sourced from the Japan’s Grassroots Grant Program (GGP), was announced during an aid agreement signing ceremony held at the Japanese Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City on Tuesday with the attendance of Consul General Ono Masuo and representatives of the two provinces. 

Under the agreement, three bridge construction projects in two communes in Kien Giang’s An Bien District will be funded with $83,247 for development.

Speaking at the ceremony, Consul General Masuo affirmed that building new bridges to replace deteriorated infrastructure is crucial in ensuring traffic safety, facilitating the transport of goods, and contributing to the improvement of the quality of life of residents. 

In addition, the district health center received a color Doppler ultrasound machine, a respiratory function meter, five three-channel electrocardiogram (ECG) machines, and a neck and back stretching device, worth a combined $83,416.

“These bridge projects will certainly bring practical efficiency and help meet the urgent needs of [our residents],” Tran Chi Dung, chairman of the Kien Giang Union of Friendship Organizations, the organization which received the aid, told the ceremony.

In addition to granting funds for large-scale infrastructure projects, the Consulate General will still keep an eye on smaller projects which need funding, the consul general said.

He suggested that local authorities continue to work with the consulate general to secure funding for such projects in order to help improve the quality of life in these localities.

The ceremony also saw the consulate general donate a $79,115 specialized ultrasound machine which can be used for cardiovascular tests to the Dien Khanh District Medical Center in Khanh Hoa Province, located on the south-central coast of Vietnam.

Pham Tan Duc, director of the center, said that the gift will help low-income residents access advanced medical services at low costs.  

“We are committed to effectively using the machine to care for and protect public health,” Duc said.

The total value of grants awarded to the two localities amounted to $245,778.

Under the GGP, a non-refundable official development aid (ODA) program funded by the Japanese government, Japan has provided aid to 219 projects in 26 southern provinces and cities of Vietnam, with a total amount of $17,652,694, mainly in education, health, agriculture, and rural infrastructure, between 1995 and 2022.

Presently, Japan holds the position of the largest ODA lender to Vietnam.

According to Dau Tu (Investment) newspaper, which cited the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the total loan amount extended by Japan to Vietnam has reached approximately 3,000 billion yen ($21.1 billion) since the initiation of ODA grants in 1954.

The Eastern Asian country also holds the third position among the countries and territories investing in Vietnam and comes fourth among the world's top countries trading with Vietnam, according to news site VnExpress.

Like us on Facebook or  follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!