The Provincial People's Committee held a meeting with the delegation from the Australian Embassy in Vietnam.

Receiving and working with the delegation, Son La province was represented by Ms. Trang Thi Xuan, Member of the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee, Permanent Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, and Head of the GREAT 2 Son La Project Steering Committee; and leaders of several provincial departments and agencies.

The head of the Department of Finance reported on the results of the implementation of the GREAT 2 Son La project.

A delegation from the Australian Embassy in Vietnam attended the working meeting.

GREAT 2 Son La has developed market systems in the agricultural and tourism sectors. The strategy focuses on four key areas: access to finance; digital transformation; development of women-owned businesses/cooperatives; and communication for behavioral change. It also supports the development, refinement, and implementation of policies. The plan includes the development and implementation of 13 sub-projects. To date, 8 proposals have been approved and are underway, reaching 61.5% completion, while 5 proposals are still being finalized.

The total investment for the project is 15,201,287 AUD (Australian dollars), equivalent to VND 250.8 billion. Of this, non-refundable ODA funding is 14,322,500 AUD, equivalent to approximately VND 236.3 billion. As of March 2025, the project had disbursed 4,116,445 AUD, reaching 29% of the total funding. Counterpart funding from the local budget (public investment capital) is VND 14.5 billion; as of the reporting date, VND 3.5 billion has been disbursed.

Son La province has requested the donor to allow the use of project funding for temporarily suspended activities to instead provide 50% of the cost of bamboo seedlings, thereby creating opportunities for poor households to improve their income and enhance their socio-economic empowerment.

The Standing Vice Chairman of the Son La Provincial People's Committee delivered a speech at the working session.

Speaking at the meeting, Ms. Trang Thi Xuan thanked the Embassy and the Australian Government for supporting Son La province in promoting and implementing the project. She also expressed her hope to continue receiving attention and support from the Australian Government to ensure the effective implementation of the GREAT 2 Project, especially in developing agricultural and tourism activities along the value chain, promoting digital transformation, digital integration, and capacity building for people, cooperatives, and businesses.

The province will focus on directing relevant departments and agencies to proactively coordinate with the Project to expedite the completion of proposals for the remaining 5 sub-projects as soon as possible, ensuring the project is implemented effectively and achieves its set goals and timeline.

The delegation from the Australian Embassy in Vietnam hopes that Son La province will expedite the completion of proposals for five sub-projects, including: digital integration in agriculture and tourism; development of Vietnamese ginseng in Son La; development of medicinal plants in Son La; promotion and innovation in supply chain management; and behavioral change economics on gender equality.

The People's Committee of Son La province presented gifts to the delegation from the Australian Embassy in Vietnam.

Earlier, on April 21st, a delegation from the Australian Embassy in Vietnam visited the homestay of Ms. Ha Thi Khuyen in Phu Mau village, Chieng Yen commune, Van Ho district, a beneficiary of the digital transformation sub-project, and also visited the model of Ms. Lo Thi Toan in Phuong Quynh village, Yen Son commune, Yen Chau district, a beneficiary of the sub-project promoting business and leadership for female entrepreneurs.

A delegation from the Australian Embassy in Vietnam visited the homestay model of Ms. Ha Thi Khuyen.

Ms. Ha Thi Khuyen held discussions with the delegation from the Australian Embassy in Vietnam.

A delegation from the Australian Embassy in Vietnam visited the model farm of Ms. Lo Thi Toan.