Attending the meeting were Mr. Nguyen Xuan Quang, Permanent Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Chairman, members the project management board; supervision mission of coastal cities; consulting units and representatives of relevant departments and branches.

According to the World Bank Task Team, the value of works of the Dong Hoi City environmental sanitation project (hereafter called "the project") has so far done about US$32.8 million. With the project's largest DH-2.1 package (Duc Ninh waste water treatment plant), after solving difficulties in site clearance, the contractor has carried out works as scheduled plan.

With the DH-3.4 package (Ly Trach landfill extension), the contractor has substantially completed works on wetlands ponds and has placed the lining on the landfill cell side slopes. Some drainage work has also been done and the lined, hazardous cells completed.

The task mission also noted the slow progress on some components and requested immediate actions to improve the situation, particularly for the important and large DH-CB3 Package (Capacity building for services providers, valued around US$300,000 from the PHRD grants); the Information-Education-Communication (IEC) activities and the Healthy City Partnership program.

Speaking at the meeting, PPC Chairman thanked the supervision mission of WB for mid-term review and effective solutions for implementation of the Dong Hoi city environmental sanitation project.

"In the future, the parties should focus on major issues such as counterpart fund, site clearance, garbage dump treatment and school sanitation in the project area", said Chairman.

Chairman said that the Project Management Board should pay attention to using source of investment capital; all relevant agencies and localities should have a close combination to ensure project implementation progress, contributing to improving environmental sanitation and the quality of life for the city's residents.

Reported by Hong Luu - By N.Y