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| A corner of Thái Nguyên City. — Photo baothainguyen.org.vn |
Viet Nam News
HÀ NỘI – World Bank has approved a loan of US$80 million to improve the quality of key urban infrastructure in the northern city of Thái Nguyên.
The funding is expected to help enhance the public transport system, drainage and wastewater collection and treatment services. It will also facilitate the city’s urban planning and management with regards to climate change and disaster risks.
More than 81,000 local people will benefit from the “Dynamic City Integrated Development” project, which will help improve child care services through upgrading pre-schools and bring about better quality of life by improving public spaces, according to World Bank. The project will also provide technical assistance for integrated urban planning, public transport planning and sustainable asset management, it said.
Ousmane Dione, country director of World Bank in Việt Nam, said as Thái Nguyên was one of the major economic centres in the northern region, the city was experiencing rapid urbanisation. Therefore, it needed better urban infrastructure.
The project will not only support the city in improving its basic infrastructure but also help to develop a comprehensive and integrated urban plan, Dione said, adding that once successful, it will provide a momentum for the development of other urban areas in the country.
The total cost of the project is estimated at US$100 million. Of this, $80 million is being financed by World Bank and the rest will be contributed by the provincial government. — VNS
