Prime Minister sets tasks to clear highway construction hindrances

The document was sent to the Ministers of Transport, Planning and Investment, Finance, Natural Resources and Environment, National Defense, Public Security, Industry and Trade and Construction, and the Chairmen of 35 provincial and municipal People’s Committees as well as the Chairman of the Commission for the Management of State Capital at Enterprises.

The document came following the Government chief’s recent on-site visits to expressway construction projects during the Tet holiday.

The move also aims to fulfill the goal of ‘having 5,000km of expressways by 2030’.

Specifically, the Prime Minister requires:

First, relevant ministers and chairmen of provincial and municipal People’s Committees timely deal with arisen problems within their power, ensure the project quality and safety, and prevent any corruption cases that may stem during the construction process. Those issues that are beyond their power must be reported to the Government and the Prime Minister for further directions.

Second, in February 2023, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment has to instruct relevant localities regarding procedures for exploiting minerals to serve construction purposes (registration documents; exploitation capacity, volume, measures, equipment; commitment on environment protection and recovery activities), and for proper landfills during the exploitation process.

Third, the People’s Committees of provinces and cities where expressways go through must work with the Transport Ministry, the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry to review and increase the exploitation capacity of local stone and sand mines for these projects while taking care of construction material prices.

Also in February 2023, the Finance Ministry is responsible for promulgate guidance on VAT reimbursement for public-private partnership (PPP) investment model.

By June 2023, the Planning and Investment Ministry takes the responsibility to raise the proportion of state capital to over 50 percent in PPP projects in remote areas with financial difficulties or with national defense and security features.

The Transport Ministry guides localities to identify the location, scale, and investment level for rest stops for expressway projects before March 2023./.