At a reception for the Vice President of the World Bank (WB) for East Asia and the Pacific, Mr Axel Van Trotsenburg, the Da Nang People’s Committee Chairman, Mr Huynh Duc Tho, remarked that over recent years the city’s economic sector has maintained stable growth with an average annual GDP growth rate of 10%.  He added that top priority is being given to making Da Nang a green and environmentally-friendly city, and to effectively controlling wastewater discharges into local canals, lakes and rivers. 

Another focus is on protecting the forest and sea environments, taking care of the trees along local streets, and developing better ecosystems.  Special attention is being paid to implementing local social welfare programmes and speeding up administrative reforms in order to create an open and transparent investment environment for domestic and foreign investors.

Vice President Trotsenburg (left) and Chairman Tho

The city leader remarked that, since 2003, WB has become one of the city’s strategic partners. As a result, hundreds of thousands of local residents have enjoyed benefits from the WB-funded Sustainable Development Project.  He noted that the project was being implemented on schedule, and he affirmed that Da Nang would continue to work closely with WB to accelerate the progress of the project in the years ahead.

In reply, Vice President Trotsenburg praised the city’s remarkable achievements in implementing the Sustainable Development Project over recent years, including narrowing the gap between the rich and the poor, as well as dealing with the problems of environmental pollution in the city.  These positive results proved the close and effective cooperation that exists between Da Nang and WB.  He emphasised that the city’s Sustainable Development Project model will now be expanded into other countries.