Meeting held to facilitate foreign NGOs' operations in HCM City

Chairman of the HCM City Union of Friendship Organsations Huynh Minh Thien, head of the city’s working group on foreign NGOs, said there are 160 licensed foreign NGOs from America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and Africa in HCM City at present.

In 2017, the municipal People’s Committee approved their Vietnamese partners’ reception of over US$48 million funded by foreign NGOs for 17 new projects, five existing projects, and 143 non-project aid packages. Foreign NGOs also sponsored the Vietnamese side with more than US$27 million for two projects and 56 non-project aid packages in the first five months of 2018.

Thien said most of the aid is provided for healthcare programmes and projects such as a project supporting HIV/AIDS prevention, combat and treatment, provision of cancer medicine, scientific studies on health care, and presentation of medical equipment and biochemical products.

Additionally, support projects in education – training, care for children, women and the disabled, and settling social issues have also resulted in practical outcomes and contributed to local socio-economic development, he added.

At the meeting, representatives of the unions of friendship organisations of southern localities also called for foreign NGOs’ aid and projects.

The Union of Friendship Organisations of Tra Vinh province called on foreign NGOs to assist the province to implement projects in education, agriculture, and building houses for the poor. It promises optimal conditions for and close coordination with them to carry out projects.

The union of Ben Tre province also pledged favourable conditions for social security projects, especially in rural clean water supply, Agent Orange victim support, and rural transport infrastructure building, which are run by foreign NGOs.