(VNF) - The Committee for Foreign Non-Governmental Affairs (COMINGO) and the People’s Aid Coordinating Committee (PACCOM) under the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations (VUFO) will continue further enhancing information sharing with the foreign non-governmental organisations (NGOs) operating in Vietnam.

The remark was made by VUFO Vice President cum General Secretary Don Tuan Phong who is also COMINGO Deputy Head at an information sharing meeting held in Hanoi on Friday (September 22^nd).

Representative from the People’s Aid Coordinating Committee reviews activities of first 6 month of 2017 at the meeting.

487 international NGOs are operating in Vietnam with 16 more coming and 8 leaving, a representative from PACCOM said at the meeting.

However, the number of NGOs operating in Vietnam is slightly decreasing.

Foreign NGOs continued to support the country with more than USD 118 million during the first 6 months of 2017, thus the aid has focused on dealing with healthcare, social issues, education improvement, socio-economic development, and environmental protection.

Reviewing first 6 month of this year’s activities, the committee has worked closely with relevant ministries and agencies to raise domestic and foreign financial assistance via conferences and seminars and offered personnel training at both grassroots and central levels.

About tasks for quarter IV of 2017, it will continue providing administrative, technical and legal support to foreign NGOs, boosting ties with embassies, development cooperation agencies and international organisations, improving policy consultation, research and personnel training.

COMINGO Deputy Head Don Tuan Phong speaks at the meeting.

Addressing the event, COMINGO Deputy Head Don Tuan Phong thanked foreign NGOs for their contributions and practical support to the development of Vietnam for many years.

He pledged VUFO will keep close coordination with and the best possible conditions for foreign NGOs to carry out programmes and projects for the sake of Vietnam’s sustainable development.

Meanwhile, COMINGO and PACCOM will further enhance information sharing with the international NGOs operating in Vietnam; organise meetings, discussions and exchanges between relevant ministries, agencies and NGOs as well as give advice to revising legal documents to make them clearer and consistent with the NGO affairs.

Foreign NGOs’ representatives agreed that Vietnamese Government authorities and sectors should consider simplifying administrative procedures and provide favourable conditions for foreign NGOs operating in Vietnam.

About 200 representatives foreign NGOs take part in the information sharing meeting.

At the conference, representatives of Hanoi Tax Department; Banking Supervision Agency of the State Bank of Vietnam and Department of Social Insurance of Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, briefed and answered questions of foreign NGOs about regulations on personal income tax towards foreign labours working in Vietnam; key issues of the Decision No.20/2017/QĐ-TTg on the operation of microfinance programs and projects of political, socio-political and non-governmental organisations; and Draft Decree on the implementation of Social Insurance Law on compulsory social insurance applied for foreign labours working in the country./.

Minh Chau