Contract marks resumption of Japanese ODA flow

Hanoi (VNA) - Vietnam and Japan have signed their first contract
since the latter agreed to resume its provision of official development
assistance (ODA) to the southeast Asian nation.

The contract covers consultation and management services for the construction of a
stretch of road in southern Vietnam .

Under the contract, signed by the Vietnam Expressway Investment and Development
Corporation under the Ministry of Transport, Nippon Koei of Japan and the Southern
Transport Consult Joint-stock Company will provide consultation and supervisory
services for the construction of a 50 km-long section of road, running from Ho
Chi Minh City to the southern province of Dong Nai .

The contract, funded by Japanese ODA, is worth more than 1.2 billion JPY, or
approximately 91 billion VND (roughly 18 million USD).

It is part of a package project worth more than 932 million USD, which has been
provided in the form of credits by the Japan International Cooperation Agency
(JICA) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

The construction is scheduled to begin during the second quarter of this year and
is expected to be completed in 2012.--Enditem