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US initiates investigation into pharmaceutical capsule shells imported from Việt Nam
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| Japanese Ambassador to Việt Nam Umeda Kunio (right) and Tô Năm, director of Đà Nẵng Centre for supporting agent orange/dioxin victims sign the grant assistance agreement yesterday in Hà Nội. — VNS Photo Bích Hường |
Viet Nam News
HÀ NỘI — Japanese Ambassador to Việt Nam Umeda Kunio yesterday announced eight grassroots development projects in Việt Nam will receive about US$1.2 million in grants from the Japanese government.
They are part of the Japan’s Grassroots Grant Assistance Programme launched in 1992, which has supported 630 grassroots projects in Việt Nam, with Official Development Assistance (ODA) totalling $53 million.
The latest projects include new classes for three primary schools in the provinces of Thái Nguyên, Nam Định and Nghệ An. Each commune will get assistance of up to $80,000-85,000.
The Pediatrics Department of central Quảng Trị province’s General Hospital and Bình Châu Commune Healthcare Centre in northern province of Hòa Bình are set to have their facilities improved thanks to the aid worth $83,000 and $87,000 respectively.
The Đà Nẵng Centre for supporting Agent Orange/dioxin victims will receive aid of nearly $57,000 to buy a new bus to carry the victims.
Another grant of $76,000 will be provided to Sơn Mầu Commune in Quảng Ngãi Province to upgrade a 700-metre road connecting two hamlets in the commune.
In addition, the Mines Advisory Group (MAG) in Việt Nam will carry out landmine clearance work in the central province of Quảng Bình thanks to Japan’s financial assistance worth nearly $625,000.
MAG is a non-governmental organisation based in UK that assists people affected by landmines, unexploded ordnance, and small arms and light weapons.
Kunio and representatives from beneficiary communes and organisations signed grant providing agreements yesterday.
He said the grants aimed to bring benefits to people at grassroots level.
“The Japanese government hopes to contribute to the comprehensive development of Việt Nam and better life of Vietnamese,” he said.
Tô Năm, director of Đà Nẵng Centre for supporting Agent Orange/dioxin victims, said the centre appreciated Japan’s grant so they could have a new 29-seat bus.
The centre was located in a suburban area, about 30km from Đà Nẵng City’s centre, and received 40 victims daily but they had only a nine-seat bus, Năm said.
Meanwhile, if the centre did not provide transportation, the victims would be unable to get to the centre for treatment, he added. — VNS
