Vietnam lags on IMF commitments
The clock is ticking for Vietnam's leadership to fulfil the
country's commitments to the International Monetary
Fund. Contrary to a September 22 report in the
Vietnamese financial newspaper, Investment, there is no
guarantee that the IMF will release the second tranche
of its $368 million loan in late October. After releasing
the first $53 million portion in April, the IMF is still
waiting for Vietnam to come up with a comprehensive,
detailed timetable for restructuring 1,800 state-owned
enterprises and reforming its debt-ridden, state-owned
banking system. The deadline for the detailed plan is the
first week in October. "They are a little behind
schedule," says IMF representative Susan Adams.
Earlier, in a September 11 seminar at the World Bank
office in Hanoi, Adams was a bit more blunt. "We all
think, in the best of all possible worlds, those targets
can be met. Is there any evidence that they are being
met formally at the moment? No," she concluded.
The Far Eastern Economic Review - September 27, 2001.
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