On the morning of October 16, Tien Phong Newspaper hosted a conference in Ho Chi Minh City titled "Synchronous Infrastructure Investment – Economic Growth Driver and Expansion of Development Space for Ho Chi Minh City". The event aimed to seek solutions for resource mobilization, bottleneck removal, and the promotion of sustainable development for the city.
Speaking at the conference, Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Construction, Tran Quang Lam, stated that following its integration with Binh Duong and Ba Ria - Vung Tau, the city has gained additional development space, leveraging strengths in industry, seaports, aviation, and regional connectivity. However, Ho Chi Minh City also faces an urgent need to tackle traffic congestion, flooding, and environmental pollution, as well as limitations in housing and urban infrastructure.
According to Mr. Lam, the city is concentrating on completing the Ring Road 3 and Ring Road 4 systems, expressways, and national highways, while accelerating the development of urban railways and connections to seaports, airports, and logistics hubs.
The city also aims to revitalize approximately 398 canals, combined with the relocation of about 41,000 households living along rivers and waterways, alongside promoting a green transition in public transit.
Deputy Minister of Construction Nguyen Tuong Van emphasized that infrastructure investment must be aligned with master planning, reorganizing development space toward a multi-polar and multi-center model. This approach must ensure synchronous connectivity among transportation, housing, healthcare, education, and essential services.
The Deputy Minister urged Ho Chi Minh City to innovate its capital mobilization methods, leverage the leading role of public investment, and effectively attract private resources and public-private partnership (PPP) investments.
Furthermore, the city needs to strengthen inter-regional coordination, enhance governance capacity, publicly disclose planning data, and clearly define responsibilities and execution schedules for each project.
Insights from the conference are expected to help refine mechanisms, policies, and solutions for strategic infrastructure investment, driving economic growth and improving the quality of life for Ho Chi Minh City residents.
