Vietnam Poverty Reduction Support Credit 6

closed

The Sixth Poverty Reduction Support Operation Credit provides further support to Vietnam's reform program. The current cycle of PRSCs is a vehicle for the Bank, and the donor community, to stay engaged with a client that has delivered an outstanding performance in terms o f economic growth and poverty reduction. The key priority action under the project are, 1) in the area of business development : decentralize investment ownership to better integrate capital and recurrent budgets in the road; clarify contract specifications, investor qualifications and treatment o f unsolicited proposals for Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) projects; require public disclosure of financial statements of SOCBs in line with internationally accepted standards. 2) in the area of social inclusion : extend performance standards for primary teachers nationwide, including evidence-based assessments; adopt HIV/AIDS law and prepare action plans to scale up harm reduction, fight stigma and discrimination; unify legal framework to address gender disparities and increase women's participation in decision making. 3) in the areas of natural resources : issue strategy to strengthen linkages between protective and economic functions of forests, and promote local ownership. 4) in the areas of governance : allocate state capital expenditure transparently, using criteria like population, poverty and ethnicity; disclose results of audits conducted by the State Audit of Vietnam (SAV) and its annual audit plan; establish separate legal, judicial, economic, and budget committees to strengthen National Assembly's supervisory role; operationalize Steering Committee against corruption with power to suspend high level officials if suspected.