Disbursement of ODA funds has only reached over 18%.

(Dan Tri Newspaper) - As of October 14th, ODA disbursement has only reached over 18% of the annual plan. Leaders of the Ministry of Finance have requested localities and ministries to accelerate progress and resolve obstacles to achieve the set targets.

At the conference on the disbursement of public investment from foreign sources and measures to strengthen disbursement in the remaining months of the year, held on the afternoon of October 15th, Mr. Tran Quoc Phuong - Deputy Minister of Finance - assessed that, from the beginning of the year until now, the results of public investment disbursement have shown positive progress, but still have not met the set requirements.

"The government and the Prime Minister have issued a series of resolutions, telegrams, and directives to address difficulties, but the implementation progress remains slow," the Deputy Minister said.

According to the report, as of October 14th, the disbursement rate of public investment from foreign sources (ODA funds) by ministries, sectors, and localities reached 18.68% of the plan. Of these, five ministries, sectors, and localities have not yet disbursed funds this year: the Ministry of Foreign Affairs , Tay Ninh province, Dong Nai province, Hung Yen province, and Lai Chau province.

At the conference, representatives from the Dong Nai Provincial People's Committee stated that the 2025 public investment plan has been allocated over 52.5 billion VND, of which over 11.1 billion VND is for the development of grassroots healthcare. To date, the province has disbursed over 5 billion VND and is expected to complete the disbursement before November 10th. Regarding the capital carried over from 2024 to this year (36.4 billion VND), Dong Nai has disbursed 33.9 billion VND and will complete the disbursement before November 10th.

"Currently, over 41.4 billion VND of the Climate Change Adaptation Irrigation Modernization Project cannot be implemented because the agreement has not yet been signed. The province has proposed a reduction in funding if the agreement is not signed and affirmed that there are no longer any obstacles to the disbursement of foreign capital," a provincial representative said.

Mr. Le Trung Hieu, Deputy Director of the Hanoi Department of Finance, said that Hanoi has been allocated foreign capital this year for 5 projects with a total ODA capital of 2,489 billion VND. As of the end of September, Hanoi had disbursed 822 billion VND, reaching 33.02% of the annual plan.

Mr. Le Trung Hieu, Deputy Director of the Hanoi Department of Finance, speaks at the conference (Photo: Ministry of Finance).

According to him, one of the projects experiencing delays is the urban railway line 3.1, the Nhon - Hanoi Station section, due to prolonged land clearance issues and increased costs, leading some contractors to file complaints with the Singapore International Arbitration Tribunal. In addition, negotiations for the underground excavation equipment supply package have not yet been completed, affecting implementation and disbursement.

Regarding the urban railway project, line 2.1, the section from Nam Thang Long to Tran Hung Dao, Mr. Hieu stated that the loan agreement is expected to be signed only in January 2027, meaning that implementation cannot begin anytime soon.

The Hanoi Department of Finance leader added that, besides the material shortages, the large price fluctuations (1.5-2 times higher than the estimated cost) also caused difficulties in the bidding process. Regarding the Yen Xa wastewater treatment project, although the progress is on schedule, the city still has to advance budget funds because the ODA funds have not been disbursed in time.

Speaking at the conference, Deputy Minister Tran Quoc Phuong assessed that, apart from traditional obstacles related to administrative procedures and document approval, the reorganization of administrative units and the implementation of a two-tiered local government model are no longer the most worrying issues.

"Although there was some impact, operations have now stabilized and have not significantly affected the progress," Mr. Phuong said.

Deputy Minister Tran Quoc Phuong speaks at the conference (Photo: Ministry of Finance).

There are still some procedural obstacles within the country, especially those under the authority of ministries, sectors, and localities such as bidding, project approval, and investment plan adjustments. The Deputy Minister requested that ministries, sectors, and localities coordinate closely and resolve issues quickly to ensure progress.

In addition, procedures related to signing agreements and adjusting ODA capital plans need to be addressed promptly. The Deputy Minister also noted that units should be cautious in planning and only accept budget estimates that are consistent with actual implementation capacity.

Regarding procedures with foreign donors, the Ministry of Finance has proposed simplifying the process. If the procedures are too complicated, implementation will be difficult, but some donors, such as the ADB, have already taken positive steps in this regard.

According to Mr. Phuong, from now until the end of the year, localities need to accelerate disbursement and should not wait for new policies. Regarding next year's capital plan, careful review and registration based on actual capacity are necessary to avoid capital reductions or failure to disburse funds.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/kinh-doanh/giai-ngan-von-oda-moi-dat-hon-18-20251015192047651.htm