20 January 2010
The Australian Aid Programme (AusAID) and the UK Department for International Development (DFID) today signed a financing agreement with the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MOIT) to continue to help Vietnam maximise the benefits of trade liberalisation and WTO implementation.
The agreement covers the second phase of the “Maintaining Sustainable Development and Poverty Reduction Gains through WTO Commitment Implementation” technical assistance program (often known as the 'Beyond WTO' program). Under the agreement, AusAID will contribute AUD12 million (est. VND180 billion) and DFID will contribute GBP3.4 million (est. VND105 billion) for Phase II of Beyond WTO. The five year program will also receive technical assistance from the World Bank.
“Right after becoming the WTO official member, Vietnam has issued the Resolution No.16/2007/NQ-CP dated 27 February 2007 to introduce the Government Action Plan (GAP) to implement the Party Resolution with 12 major policy solutions. This Action Plan has been rapidly implemented by Ministries, agencies and localities to utilize opportunities and overcome challenges brought about by WTO accession. In order to successfully implement this GAP, Vietnam has called for and highly appreciated the support from the international community on the basis of donor harmonisation, Government ownership and strengthened policy co-ordination among relevant Vietnamese agencies ”, Vietnam’s Trade and Industry Minister, Mr. Vu Huy Hoang, said.
Phase One of Beyond WTO supported the development of the GAP and the action plans prepared by agencies and provinces. It also helped identify measures that Vietnam will take to maximise the benefits of WTO accession and assist poor and vulnerable populations share in these benefits.
“ ‘Behind the border’ reforms are critical to ensuring that Vietnam is positioned to take full advantage of the resumption of trade and investment flows as the current downturn recedes”, Australia’s Ambassador to Vietnam, Mr Allaster Cox, said. “As well as infrastructure and human resource development, taking advantage of the global recovery will require an increase in the international competitiveness of Vietnam’s enterprises, sound frameworks for attracting long-term foreign investment and good policies to support business development. It is very important that these trade-related reforms are clearly reflected in Vietnam’s next Socio-Economic Development Plan for 2011-15.”
In Phase II, the Beyond WTO Programme will support the implementation of Vietnam’s commitments under WTO and other international and regional agreements, focusing on:
“Trade is essential for growth, for job creation, and in turn for poverty reduction. However not everyone will come out a winner from trade liberalization. In fact as trade expands and liberalises, many jobs will be created, but some will also be lost – perhaps permanently. The poor are often the most affected, and many of them are women. DFID is therefore committed to working with the Government of Vietnam to ensure that adverse impacts are not unduly born by the poor, and that the poor are in particular protected from any negative externalities associated with trade liberalization and economic integration.”, said DFID Head in Vietnam, Ms Fiona Lappin.
Given the demand for technical assistance in this area is likely to remain high over the coming years, the Program is open to other donors’ participation.
During the Launch, the Government and the donors also presented the 1st Annual Work Plan for Phase II which includes twenty projects that will be implemented from October 2009 to December 2010.
For further information, please visit the Programme’s website at www.b-wto.gov.vn .
Key contacts:Beyond WTO Office: Ms Hoang Thi Thanh Binh, beyondwto@gmail.com,AusAID Hanoi Office: Mr Nguyen Quang Anh, quanganh.nguyen@dfat.gov.auDFID Hanoi Office: Ms Nguyen Hoang Ha, nh-ha@dfid.gov.uk
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