Ho Chi Minh City has committed to coordinating closely with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to effectively carry out projects using the Japanese Government’s ODA.

The first train of Metro Line 1

The pledge was made by Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Nguyen Thanh Phong while receiving the new JICA Chief Representative in Vietnam, Shimizu Akira, on June 3.

Phong told the guest that the city has basically controlled the spread of the COVID-19 in community and moved to the new normal state, with the dual target of disease prevention and economic recovery and development.

In this context, it defines that stepping up public investment disbursement is one of the important measures to support its economic development and helps speed up the process of Japan’s ODA projects.

The official acknowledged efforts by JICA and investors in speeding up the construction on these projects, including Metro Line 1, amid the COVID-19 outbreaks.

He suggested Akira soon sign the final loan agreement for the project, encourage the contractors to focus their resources on finishing it by year-end, and help speed up the construction on water, and wastewater projects.

Akira expressed his hope that Ho Chi Minh City’s economic recovery policies and activities will soon take into effect, thus contributing to stabilising Vietnam’s economy.

He proposed the city’s leaders continue facilitating the construction of on-going projects, resume the granting of visas for Japanese experts and engineers, and support the import of equipment and machines serving these projects.

In the time to come, JICA will work with the locality to carry out the urban railway projects and study the possibility of cooperation in the environmental field and flooding prevention, he added.