Cooperating with ADB to Create Breakthroughs in Phu Tho’s Tourism Infrastructure

On November 3, an Asian Development Bank (ADB) delegation led by Mr. Manoj Sharma — Director of the Water and Urban Development Sector for Southeast Asia — held a working session with the Provincial People’s Committee on the preparation status of the Tourism Infrastructure Development Project in the Hoa Binh area using ADB ODA loan capital. Comrade Quach Tat Liem — Member of the Provincial Party Committee and Vice Chairman of the Provincial People’s Committee — chaired the reception and working session with the delegation.

Vice Chairman of the Provincial People’s Committee Quach Tat Liem receiving and chairing the working session with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) delegation.

Participating in the delegation were Ms. Susan Lim — Head of the National Operations Unit, ADB Resident Mission in Vietnam — alongside members and specialists participating in the project.

Also attending the working session were leaders from several provincial departments, boards, and sectors, alongside the Chairmen of the People’s Committees of Ky Son, Tan Hoa, Thong Nhat, and Thung Nai communes and wards.

According to reports from the Hoa Binh Area Project Management Board, the Tourism Infrastructure Development Project of Hoa Binh Province (former) was approved in principle by the Prime Minister under Decision No. 1447/QĐ-TTg dated June 30, 2025.

This is a Group A project with a total investment of over 3,752 billion VND. Among this, ADB ODA loan capital accounts for 2,934 billion VND, and counterpart funds account for 818 billion VND.

The project is deployed across 4 communes and wards, including Ky Son, Tan Hoa, Thong Nhat, and Thung Nai. Implementation period spans 6 years, expected to be executed during the 2028–2034 period.

To date, the Hoa Binh Area Project Management Board is directing consulting units to absorb appraisal feedback on the Feasibility Study Report from the Department of Construction, perfecting dossiers to submit for 3rd-time appraisal. Concurrently, coordinating with relevant agencies to work with the ADB loan pre-appraisal delegation, reviewing conditions and agreeing on the project deployment roadmap.

Vice Chairman of the Provincial People’s Committee Quach Tat Liem speaking at the working session.

According to the projected schedule, November 2026 will see the approval of the Environmental Impact Assessment report and project approval; in March 2027, ADB will officially appraise the loan; in September 2027, loan negotiations will take place. The ADB Board of Directors is projected to approve the loan in February 2028, signing the Loan Agreement in April 2028, with the loan taking effect from May 2028.

Steps for approving design and cost estimates are expected to be completed in October 2027; bidding procedures will be deployed starting January 2028, and project groundbreaking will take place in May 2028.

At the working session, delegation members and provincial functional agencies focused on exchanging and evaluating project preparation progress, while identifying difficulties and bottlenecks requiring focused resolution. Opinions also proposed resolution solutions, clarifying coordination responsibilities among agencies, units, and localities to guarantee project preparation schedule and quality, fulfilling sponsor requirements.

Mr. Manoj Sharma — Director of the Water and Urban Development Sector for Southeast Asia, Asian Development Bank — speaking at the working session.

Speaking at the working session, Vice Chairman Quach Tat Liem provided brief information on natural conditions, potential, strengths, and development orientations of Phu Tho province post-merger.

He emphasized that the Tourism Infrastructure Development Project in the Hoa Binh area carries major significance for the region’s socio-economic development, especially the tourism sector—contributing to effectively exploiting available potential and advantages, creating employment, and elevating income and citizens' living standards.

With diverse and rich natural and cultural resources, the Hoa Binh area possesses many favorable conditions to develop eco-tourism, resort, community-based, sports, and spiritual cultural tourism types. He expressed confidence that when synchronously invested in infrastructure, the area will gain additional attractiveness, attracting large numbers of domestic and international tourists to visit, experience, and explore.

Mr. Do Nhat Hoang — delegation member — speaking to discuss several related issues requiring resolution during loan appraisal procedure deployment.

The Vice Chairman expressed the desire to continue receiving cooperation and support from the bank in deploying projects under the province’s priority sectors and fields, thereby contributing to driving economic growth toward sustainability.

On behalf of the Asian Development Bank delegation, Mr. Manoj Sharma highly appreciated the province’s efforts in project preparation work as well as synchronized solutions aimed at driving socio-economic development, especially the tourism sector.

He expressed confidence that the Tourism Infrastructure Development Project in the Hoa Binh area will create a vital foundation to perfect infrastructure systems, elevate destination connectivity, and expand tourism development spaces—thereby creating momentum for investment activities and elevating Phu Tho province’s stature on the national tourism map.

Manh Hung