In a March 21 article, the Japanese newspaper with the largest circulation, Yomiuri Shimbun, reported that JTC President Tamio Kakinuma had admitted to paying "kickbacks" to foreign civil servants in Viet Nam, Indonesia and Uzbekistan in return for five ODA projects. According to the newspaper, the illegal payments were made on some 40 occasions between 2008 and February this year, and totalled JPY130 million, or about $1.27 million.— FIle Photo

HA NOI (VNS) — Japan will not suspend its Official Development Assistance (ODA) to Viet Nam, confirmed a senior official from the Vietnamese Ministry of Planning and Investment.

Deputy Director of the ministry's Department for Foreign Economic Relations Nguyen Xuan Tien stated this in response to the recent report that Tokyo will suspend ODA provisions for Viet Nam following the bribery allegations concerning a Japanese-funded Ha Noi urban railway project.

Japan will approve new ODA projects after Viet Nam commits to launching an in-depth investigation into the case, imposing serious penalties on all those involved, and prepares plans to deal with all possible cases, he said.

To fully utilise the ODA packages, apart from taking anti-corruption measures, the ministry will also issue a code of conduct on tenders and a pilot regulation for third parties bidding for Japanese ODA projects.

It will also outline a set of procedures to inspect all ODA contracts in general, and others funded by Japan in particular, and work together with the Japan International Cooperation Agency to re-examine several bidding packages of some Japanese ODA projects.

All possible constructive changes will be made to investment, corporate and tender laws, which will come into force on July 1 this year.

The Law on Public Investment is expected to be ratified by the National Assembly soon, making the tender process and corporate finance more transparent.

The government and relevant ministries and agencies of Viet Nam have been actively working with the Japanese side on the alleged bribery case, with the suspects now being held in custody.

In a March 21 article, the Japanese newspaper with the largest circulation Yomiuri Shimbun reported that President of the Japan Transportation Consultants, Inc. Tamio Kakinuma had admitted to paying "kickbacks" to foreign civil servants in Viet Nam, Indonesia and Uzbekistan in return for five ODA projects.

According to the newspaper, the illegal payments were made on some 40 occasions between 2008 and February this year, and totalled JPY130 million, or about $1.27 million.— VNS