20-year-old fund helps protect environment, reduce pollution

ABO/NDO – The Vietnam Environment Protection Fund (VEPF) has contributed importantly to protecting the environment and reducing pollution over the past 20 years.

Speaking at a ceremony to mark the 20th founding anniversary of the fund on June 26 in the northern province of Quang Ninh, its Director Nguyen Duc Thuan said that in the past two decades, VEPF has provided preferential loans for nearly 400 projects with a total disbursed capital of nearly 3 trillion VND (129 million USD).

It has also financed over 100 billion VND to help localities deal with post-disaster environmental pollution, received combined deposit amount of 250 billion VND from over 360 projects to ensure the restoration of the environment after the projects are completed, and mobilised a non-refundable aid worth 84 million USD from the Global Environment Fund.

Ceremony to mark the 20th founding anniversary of Vietnam Environment Protection Fund (Photo: VNA).

Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Vo Tuan Nhan affirmed that the fund has made contributions to the environmental protection cause in particular and the development of the natural resources and environment sector in general.

The Party and State pursue a consistent policy of promoting socio-economic development in association with environmental protection and improvement, and ensuring the harmony between the artificial and natural environments.

He asked the fund to contribute more importantly and actively to the country’s environmental protection.

(Source: NDO)