At the meeting, Minister Thang explained that the amended Law on Bidding had been in effect since January 15, decentralising the approval process to cut down the time needed for the disbursement of loans.

Based on the decree guiding the implementation of the amended law issued in February, the Ministry of Finance (MoF) submitted a decision on the bidding of Binh Duong wastewater treatment scheme and the southern waterway corridor development to the government, which issued a resolution approving the loans on March 19. The resolutions have since been submitted to the president for approval.

“The MoF will conduct meetings with localities to remove obstacles for ODA projects, including those of the World Bank. This will help accelerate progress on projects set to be disbursed this year and beyond,” said the minister.

Mariam Sherman thanked Thang for these solutions and proposed some initiatives to remove obstacles for projects that need to be implemented soon, such as the renewable energy enhanced transmission grid, and projects that are currently being implemented and negotiated.

“The aim of Vietnam and the World Bank is to ensure that the schedule and objectives of this capital mobilisation drive are met,” said Sherman.

According to Sherman, the combined value of the World Bank’s list of projects is about $11.2 billion, targeting key areas such as growth innovation, economic restructuring, energy conversion, and climate change response.

“To achieve the high growth rate set out by the government and National Assembly, foreign loans, including those from the World Bank, will play a vital role,” said Minister Thang.

The minister shared the government’s viewpoint that between 2026 and 2030, ODA is expected to pour into key projects such as expressways, railways, high-speed railways, energy infrastructure, climate change resilience, and digital infrastructure.

“With the government’s objective of high economic growth over the next few years, cooperation between Vietnam and the World Bank will be extensive,” he said.

Minister Thang expressed his appreciation for Sherman’s contributions to accelerating the progress of ODA-funded ventures. He also requested the World Bank to consider further simplifying and harmonising procedures, as well as consider finding ways to reduce interest rates for high-priority projects.

More than 25 kilogrammes of various narcotics are seized in the crackdown. (Photo courtesy of the police)

Quang Binh – Police of the central province of Quang Binh said on March 20 that the force, in coordination with authorities of Laos’ Khammouane province, has successfully dismantled a major cross-border drug trafficking network, seizing more than 25 kilogrammes of various narcotics.

The crackdown took place on March 12 when Dinh Hong Thuan, born in 1971 and from Quang Binh’s Minh Hoa district, and Nguyen Thanh Phuong, born in 1993 and from the province’s Dong Hoi city, were caught red-handed illegally transporting drugs.

Authorities confisticated some 20 kilogrammes of drugs, including 60,000 amphetamine pills, eight kilogrammes of ketamine, four kilogrammes of crystal methamphetamine, and two kilogrammes of heroin.

Following further investigation, the law enforcement force arrested Pham Le Tuan Anh, born in 1995 and from Dong Hoi city, for drug trafficking. In this additional arrest, around 5 more kilogrammes of narcotics was seized, including over 25,000 amphetamine pills, 1.5 kilogrammes of crystal methamphetamine and ketamine, and 1 kilogramme of heroin.

The local police charged the suspects and is expanding investigation into the case.

The Microsoft logo in London, the UK (Illustrative photo: Xinhua/VNA)

Kuala Lumpur – US tech giant Microsoft said its artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure rollout in Malaysia remains on track despite concerns over potential disruptions in the supply of advanced AI chips.

The company is monitoring developments related to US export restrictions on semiconductor technology, but that its operations in Malaysia have not been affected, Microsoft Malaysia managing director Laurence Si told a press conference on March 20.

Microsoft’s investments in Malaysia, including the upcoming cloud region launch, are proceeding as planned. It is committed to deploying AI services and digital infrastructure on schedule, ensuring Malaysia benefits from the latest technological advancements, he added.

Concerns over AI chip supply have grown following Microsoft’s announcement of its in-house Azure Cobalt 100 chip, designed to enhance AI capabilities.

Asked whether Malaysia’s cloud region would use the latest AI chips, Si said Microsoft is assessing market demand.

If there is a market for it, it will be incorporated into the framework and timeline for Malaysia, he said, adding that there is already industry interest in AI-optimised chipsets like Cobalt

In a related news, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has emphasised the importance of developing local talent in blockchain technology to ensure that investments in the sector benefit Malaysians.

The matter was discussed during a courtesy visit on March 20 from representatives of Klickl, a company operating finance and assets within the digital and blockchain ecosystem, he said in a Facebook post.

Anwar noted that Malaysia has significant potential in the field and can leverage blockchain technology across various sectors. Beyond finance and digital assets, he said the technology could also be utilised in government services and the halal industry.