In the meeting, relevant state departments and agencies first reported the progress of the projects under their charge, along with current obstacles in land clearance tasks and material shortages.
Chairman Phan Van Mai of the HCMC People’s Committee commented that all reports show clear details, but with the spirit of being on the safe side to go step by step slowly. He stressed that the management of all key projects must bear in mind the motto of accelerating work to maintain or even go ahead of progress. It is wiser to spend more money to complete a project rather than letting it drag on for many years, which ultimately costs even more.
Regarding the list of key projects in HCMC, the Chairman agreed with the proposal of the HCMC Department of Planning and Investment on 3 criteria for the 10 projects of Ring Road 2, Ring Road 3, Ring Road 4, the HCMC – Moc Bai Expressway, Nguyen Khoai Street and Bridge, Metro Route No.1, Xuyen Tam Canal, the Northern side of Doi Canal, the canals of Tham Luong – Ben Cat – Nuoc Len, and the purchase of medical equipment for three hospitals at the city entrance.
This list will be regularly updated. Other urgent projects to be considered in the upcoming time are the upgrades of entrance routes into HCMC like National Highway No.13, National Highway No.25, the connection section between Vo Van Kiet Street and the HCMC – Trung Luong Expressway.
Chairman Mai directed the simultaneous work of various procedures to launch necessary projects this year like Ring Road 2, Nguyen Khoai Street and Bridge, the Northern side of Doi Canal, Xuyen Tam Canal.
The section of Ring Road 4 passing HCMC must have its investment plan approved no later than the third quarter this year. Similarly, an investment plan for the HCMC – Moc Bai Expressway project must be finish by this February so that its parallel road can start construction this year.
Metro Route No.1 should run commercially this July, and other matters like human resources training or ticket discount and exemption in the first few months of operation or special national holidays will be handled by a joined task force between HCMC and Japan.
The Chairman also stressed the goals of public investment disbursement for the four quarters this year, being 10-12 percent, 30 percent, 60 percent, and 0 percent respectively, so that at the end of the year, this rate would come to more than 95 percent. When sensibly done, the key projects can use a disbursement amount of over VND20 trillion (US$817 million), which used to be considered ‘difficult-to-disburse capital’.
As to the task of public investment disbursement, Vice Chairman Nguyen Van Dung of the HCMC People’s Committee affirmed that capital distribution has been fully completed, and all is left is the careful use of this amount to reach the 95-percent target at the end of 2024.
Therefore, he suggested that based on the project list, relevant localities must review the progress of all projects under their charge. Any part that can be adjusted and disbursed should be carried out immediately instead of waiting until the end of the year. Capital adjustment should be done after 6 months rather than at the end of the year as before.
