Reprentatives of BAT Vietnam and Cong An Thanh Pho Ho Chi Minh Newspaper hand over presents to local people. — Photo BAT
A new bridge officially opened to traffic in Phu Thuan A Commune, Hong Ngu District, in the Mekong Delta province of Dong Thap after six months of trial use.
The bridge was built under a project to prevent and mitigate natural disasters run by Cong An Thanh Pho Ho Chi Minh (HCM City Security) newspaper with funding from BAT Vietnam since 2013.
Its main aims include building rural bridges in the Mekong Delta, especially in cities and provinces where people’s lives are still very difficult and education is limited.
The bridge, with a length of 30 metres and width of 1.6 metres, cost VND180 million to build.
“With the new bridge, I hope dwellers in the Mekong River region will be able to travel in a safe and convenient way so that they feel secure enough to earn a living legally, take care of their children and improve their living quality and productivity,” Nguyen Hoang Hue Linh, BAT Vietnam’s Senior Corporate Communications & CSR Manager, said.
“We will continue to build new bridges in other localities to help children go to school and meet the needs of local people for transportation and trading towards a better life.”
New bridge is put into operation. — Photo BAT
According to Hue Linh, these rural bridge projects are part of a global CSR programme that BAT has implemented over the years to support public works in difficult localities.
Another bridge funded by BAT Vietnam was the Vuon Tre Bridge in Khanh Hai Commune, Tran Van Thoi District, Ca Mau Province. The bridge, 25 metres long and costing VND220 million, was inaugurated at the end of last year.
Under the project, six rural bridges were built by 2016 in Ben Tre, Tra Vinh, Vinh Long, Dong Thap, Bac Lieu, and Ca Mau, each costing VND150-220 million.
Thus BAT Vietnam has provided over VND1 billion for the programme.
Apart from funding bridges, BAT has made considerable contributions to the society over the years in Viet Nam.
The company focuses on charitable poverty reduction projects related to education, improving community living quality and sustainable agriculture. Importantly, it has run a programme supporting the household economy benefiting more than 300 families nation-wide for the past 12 years, built more than 80 charity houses and 20 bridges in rural areas and supplied three million seedlings, partly helping green 10,000 hectares of barren land in provinces such as Lang Son, Cao Bang, Gia Lai, Tay Ninh, Dong Thap, and Bac Can. — VNS