The Japanese Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City, on December 22, signed contracts to provide non-refundable aid worth nearly 400,000 USD for five health care and educational projects.

The sum will be spent on medical equipment for the Phu Yen Hospital of Traditional Medicine, My Xuyen district’s General Hospital in Soc Trang, and Co Do district’s medical centre in Can Tho.

The funding will also equip the medical station of Hau My Bac A commune in Tien Giang with an ambulance, and build seven classrooms for the Vinh Binh Primary School in Long An.

The aid contracts are part of Japan’s Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects (GGP) Programme, which sponsored 174 projects, mostly in education, health, agriculture, and rural infrastructure, across 26 southern Vietnamese provinces between 1995 and 2016, with funding amounting to over 13.87 million USD.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Japanese Consul General to HCM City Kawaue Junichi said Japan is committed to helping Vietnam develop macro infrastructure via major projects, including the construction of highways and railways.

The diplomat said Japan pays heed to GGP humanitarian aid, as it brings direct benefits to people. He expected local authorities to utilise these GGP-funded projects to provide better health and educational services to locals.-VNA/VNP