The National Assembly approved the investment policy for the project in June 2015. The Prime Minister later approved the project with a total investment of more than VND109 trillion (about US$4.2 billion). It consists of four component projects and is scheduled for implementation from 2020 to 2025.
The inspection identified shortcomings and violations in project approval procedures, project management qualifications, funding arrangements and the implementation of two key component projects.
Component Project 2, which covers air traffic management facilities, is being implemented by the Vietnam Air Traffic Management Corporation (VATM) with an investment of more than VND3.4 trillion (about US$130 million). Component Project 3, covering essential airport infrastructure, is being implemented by the Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV) with an investment exceeding VND99 trillion (about US$3.8 billion). The inspection also uncovered violations in bidding packages XD01 and XD02 under Component Project 2 and packages 5.6 and 5.10 under Component Project 3.
According to the inspectorate, VATM approved Component Project 2 before completing the basic design for its office building and without fully addressing recommendations made by the appraisal council and consulting reviewers during the feasibility study assessment. The head of the project management board also exercised the duties and authority of the project director without meeting the statutory professional certification requirements.
ACV approved the list of technical codes and standards applicable to Component Project 3 before formally approving the project itself, approved feasibility studies for two project components out of sequence, and calculated the project's total investment in violation of regulations by summing investment figures from three separate approval decisions.
The inspectorate said the project's initial management model, in which the investor directly oversaw implementation, was unsuitable for a project of this size and complexity.
For bidding packages XD01 and XD02, the inspection found errors in cost estimates for the air traffic control tower, including incorrect cost norms, quantities, and unit prices, inflating the estimated contract value by more than VND7 billion (approximately US$270,000).
More seriously, contractor Corporation 36 Joint Stock Company was found to have transferred work under package XD02 worth more than VND75 billion (about US$2.9 million) to another contractor. It also signed contracts worth VND99 billion (around US$3.8 million) with several other firms to carry out portions of the package. The inspectorate concluded that these actions constituted illegal subcontracting in violation of the 2013 Law on Bidding.
For package 5.6 under Component Project 3, inspectors found that the investor negotiated and signed a contract increasing the advance payment rate from 10 percent to 20 percent, resulting in an additional advance of more than VND44.8 billion (approximately US$1.7 million), contrary to the conditions set out in the bidding documents. The inspectorate also found that the investor paid more than VND42.8 billion (about US$1.6 million) for work accepted with contents that differed from those specified in the contract.
Package 5.10 was also found to contain numerous deficiencies in its bidding documents, requiring multiple revisions. Although the package was awarded to seven main contractors, they later transferred work worth nearly VND1.6 trillion (about US$61.5 million) to subcontractors that had not been approved by the investor. The inspectorate determined that these transfers constituted illegal subcontracting under the Law on Bidding.
The Government Inspectorate noted that Long Thanh International Airport is a nationally significant project of special importance, with a total investment exceeding VND100 trillion (approximately US$3.8 billion) and involving more than 150 domestic and international bidding packages.
According to the inspection conclusion, the investors, design consultants, construction contractors, and other related organizations and individuals bear primary responsibility for the shortcomings and violations identified in Component Projects 2 and 3.
Based on its findings, the Government Inspectorate recommended that the Prime Minister instruct the Ministry of Construction, Ministry of Finance and relevant ministries, agencies and local authorities to strengthen oversight of subcontractor management, particularly illegal subcontracting, while intensifying inspections to detect and strictly handle violations.
Pursuant to the 2013 Law on Inspection and Joint Circular No. 03/2018, the inspectorate referred information to the Ministry of Public Security for investigation into alleged illegal subcontracting by several contractors. These include Corporation 36 Joint Stock Company and Newtatco under package XD02; Hancorp, Vinaconex and Fecon under package 5.6; and Hancorp, Phuc Hung, CC1, Vinaconex, Newtecons, Ricons, Atad, Sol E&C and Hawee under package 5.10.
The inspectorate also requested the Ministry of Public Security to investigate alleged violations involving bid and payment currencies, contractor selection procedures, and other irregularities related to the project.
Earlier, at a regular press briefing on April 3, the Ministry of Public Security announced that its Investigation Police Agency had expanded its investigation into alleged wrongdoing at ACV. To date, anti-corruption investigators have prosecuted 31 individuals on charges including violating bidding regulations causing serious consequences, offering bribes, accepting bribes and embezzlement.
Among those under investigation are Nguyen The Phiet, Chairman of ACV's Board of Directors, and Nguyen Tien Viet, Board member, Deputy General Director in charge of ACV's executive board, and Director of the Long Thanh International Airport Project Management Board. Both are being investigated for allegedly violating bidding regulations, causing serious consequences and accepting bribes.
