ADB supports Lao Cai’s search for investment
Kimura spoke highly of the cooperation between ADB and the province in projects on education, transport, rural development and tourism over the past time. According to the ADB official, Lao Cai is strategically important to the Greater Mekong subregion programme and its Lao Cai-He Kou border gate, which was listed for development priority on the North-South economic corridor, is expected to facilitate cross-border trade between Vietnam and China .
He mentioned the Noi Bai – Lao Cai highway section through the province’s Bao Thang district and the provincial preventive medical centre project, which aims to better the local healthcare staff’s profession as well as their capacity to monitor and manage epidemic diseases.
Kimura said thanks to that workable cooperation, Lao Cai is being screened for participation in new ADB-funded projects scheduled for next year.
Nguyen Van Vinh, Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee asked ADB to assist the province in using the financial institution’s soft loans for transport infrastructure and urban development in the 2013- 2018 period.
Vinh said he hopes ADB will soon approve loans for Lao Cai’s key projects to expand Sa Pa town and upgrade provincial highways 156 and 158 with a total length of 123 km and commune-district roads.