A total of VND83.7 trillion (US$42.51 million) in public investment has been disbursed in the first four months of this year, a 12.9% increase from a year earlier, according to the General Statistics Office.

Illustrative photo. (Source: VNA) 

About 14.7% of the sum – VND12.3 trillion – came from the central budget, up 32.3% year on year, while the remainder was from local budget, up 10.1%.

The Ministry of Education and Training saw its public investment disbursement expanding 87.7%, the highest among ministries, followed by the Ministry of Industry and Trade with 46.7%.

Localities with the highest increase in public investment disbursement during the period included Quang Ninh with 17.9%, Ba Ria – Vung Tau 12.5%, and Nghe An 11.9%.

Around VND23.2 trillion in public investment was disbursed in April, a year-on-year rise of 0.8%, the lowest over the last five year, because the COVID-19 pandemic has forced many projects to postpone.