AUSTRALIA-FUNDED ANCHORAGE INAUGURATED IN QUANG NGAI

Quang Ngai, June 15 (VNA) - The central province of Quang Ngai inaugurated an anchorage on June 14 as part of a 208 billion VND project funded by the Australian government to help mitigate natural disasters' devastating impacts.

The Tinh Hoa anchorage, located in Son Tinh district, was built at a total cost of 39 billion VND, of which more than 27 billion VND were provided as non-refundable aid by the Australian Government.

The facility is capable of providing a storm-shelter for around 350
fishing boats and related services.

Addressing the inaugurating ceremony, Australian management contractor representative Tom Connor said the anchorage is a symbolic work in mitigating negative impacts of natural calamities in Asia .

He stressed that the project to lessen consequences of natural disasters in Quang Ngai received two highest awards of Australia , including a technical prize of Queensland State and a national prize for excellent technical consultancy.

According to Australian Ambassador to Vietnam Bill Tweddell, the
Australian Government will provide 9.85 million AUD in aid for Vietnam in support of poverty reduction in Quang Ngai during the 2008-11 period.

The project will benefit around 26,000 poor households in the province and targets to reduce the poverty rate of local ethnic minority groups to below 30 percent by 2010.-