HO CHI MINH CITY PLANS MAJOR INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS

The city recently held a seminar on collaboration between investors and banks in so-called breakthrough programs.

Participating banks have signed loan agreements for eight projects, worth a total of VND26 trillion (US$1.1 billion) under a public-private partnership (PPP) investment model.

The projects include a North-South road worth VND18 trillion and Nguyen Tat Thanh Street worth VND4.6 trillion.

The chairman of the city People's Committee Nguyen Thanh Phong said the loans for the eight projects had created a push for future projects, as the city has a limited local budget.

"More businesses are expected to invest under the PPP model", he said.

Around 153 projects have been carried out under the PPP model in HCM City, with a total investment of VND451 trillion, of which 23 projects worth a total of VND71 trillion have been completed, and another 130 projects worth VND380 trillion are underway.

The city has asked the People's Committee to take charge of planning upgrades of old buildings and construction of new buildings.

To effectively handle the “breakthrough” programs that are key to the city's development during the 2016-2020 period, the city needs a total of VND850 trillion in funds. Sixty percent of that total would be for anti-flooding, transport, and infrastructure-related projects.

Street vendors with shoulder pole on Saigon streets

The bamboo shoulder pole with baskets filled with agricultural produce and other wares is familiar to Saigon people for many years. Nowadays it has become a special thing that makes travelers curious. In small areas of District 1 and District 3, we could count more than 100 vendors who earned money using shoulder poles. A shoulder pole, also called a carrying pole, is a yoke of wood or bamboo, used by people to carry a load. The vendors put their goods in two baskets from each end of the yoke.

In the downtown, we can meet young women with their shoulder poles. The baskets are covered with plastic wrap carefully to protect the foods from street dust. In a tight space of one basket, she could mix the ingredients and bake the cake on small charcoal which was defended by the carton. The ready cakes were put in another basket.

In the morning or evening, on rainy or sunny days, Saigon streets are marked by shoulder poles of people from different regions of the country, which has become a unique part of Saigon. It has been said that it isn't hard to live in Saigon if you work hard. With the carrying pole on shoulders, the vendor has turned it into a “store”. The reason is very simple, they don't have enough money to open a real store. Every day these women continue their journey through Saigon streets under the sun and the rain, selling cheap things or street foods to earn money and feed their children.

Street vendors with shoulder pole on Saigon streets

The bamboo shoulder pole with baskets filled with agricultural produce and other wares is familiar to Saigon people for many years. Nowadays it has become a special thing that makes travelers curious. In small areas of District 1 and District 3, we could count more than 100 vendors who earned money using shoulder poles. A shoulder pole, also called a carrying pole, is a yoke of wood or bamboo, used by people to carry a load. The vendors put their goods in two baskets from each end of the yoke.

In the downtown, we can meet young women with their shoulder poles. The baskets are covered with plastic wrap carefully to protect the foods from street dust. In a tight space of one basket, she could mix the ingredients and bake the cake on small charcoal which was defended by the carton. The ready cakes were put in another basket.

In the morning or evening, on rainy or sunny days, Saigon streets are marked by shoulder poles of people from different regions of the country, which has become a unique part of Saigon. It has been said that it isn't hard to live in Saigon if you work hard. With the carrying pole on shoulders, the vendor has turned it into a “store”. The reason is very simple, they don't have enough money to open a real store. Every day these women continue their journey through Saigon streets under the sun and the rain, selling cheap things or street foods to earn money and feed their children.

Street vendors with shoulder pole on Saigon streets

The bamboo shoulder pole with baskets filled with agricultural produce and other wares is familiar to Saigon people for many years. Nowadays it has become a special thing that makes travelers curious. In small areas of District 1 and District 3, we could count more than 100 vendors who earned money using shoulder poles. A shoulder pole, also called a carrying pole, is a yoke of wood or bamboo, used by people to carry a load. The vendors put their goods in two baskets from each end of the yoke.

In the downtown, we can meet young women with their shoulder poles. The baskets are covered with plastic wrap carefully to protect the foods from street dust. In a tight space of one basket, she could mix the ingredients and bake the cake on small charcoal which was defended by the carton. The ready cakes were put in another basket.

In the morning or evening, on rainy or sunny days, Saigon streets are marked by shoulder poles of people from different regions of the country, which has become a unique part of Saigon. It has been said that it isn't hard to live in Saigon if you work hard. With the carrying pole on shoulders, the vendor has turned it into a “store”. The reason is very simple, they don't have enough money to open a real store. Every day these women continue their journey through Saigon streets under the sun and the rain, selling cheap things or street foods to earn money and feed their children.

Street vendors with shoulder pole on Saigon streets

The bamboo shoulder pole with baskets filled with agricultural produce and other wares is familiar to Saigon people for many years. Nowadays it has become a special thing that makes travelers curious. In small areas of District 1 and District 3, we could count more than 100 vendors who earned money using shoulder poles. A shoulder pole, also called a carrying pole, is a yoke of wood or bamboo, used by people to carry a load. The vendors put their goods in two baskets from each end of the yoke.

In the downtown, we can meet young women with their shoulder poles. The baskets are covered with plastic wrap carefully to protect the foods from street dust. In a tight space of one basket, she could mix the ingredients and bake the cake on small charcoal which was defended by the carton. The ready cakes were put in another basket.

In the morning or evening, on rainy or sunny days, Saigon streets are marked by shoulder poles of people from different regions of the country, which has become a unique part of Saigon. It has been said that it isn't hard to live in Saigon if you work hard. With the carrying pole on shoulders, the vendor has turned it into a “store”. The reason is very simple, they don't have enough money to open a real store. Every day these women continue their journey through Saigon streets under the sun and the rain, selling cheap things or street foods to earn money and feed their children.

Street vendors with shoulder pole on Saigon streets

The bamboo shoulder pole with baskets filled with agricultural produce and other wares is familiar to Saigon people for many years. Nowadays it has become a special thing that makes travelers curious. In small areas of District 1 and District 3, we could count more than 100 vendors who earned money using shoulder poles. A shoulder pole, also called a carrying pole, is a yoke of wood or bamboo, used by people to carry a load. The vendors put their goods in two baskets from each end of the yoke.

In the downtown, we can meet young women with their shoulder poles. The baskets are covered with plastic wrap carefully to protect the foods from street dust. In a tight space of one basket, she could mix the ingredients and bake the cake on small charcoal which was defended by the carton. The ready cakes were put in another basket.

In the morning or evening, on rainy or sunny days, Saigon streets are marked by shoulder poles of people from different regions of the country, which has become a unique part of Saigon. It has been said that it isn't hard to live in Saigon if you work hard. With the carrying pole on shoulders, the vendor has turned it into a “store”. The reason is very simple, they don't have enough money to open a real store. Every day these women continue their journey through Saigon streets under the sun and the rain, selling cheap things or street foods to earn money and feed their children.