Tran Viet Hung, Deputy Head of the Central Highlands Steering Committeespoke to the newspaper Thoi bao Kinh te (Vietnam Economic Times) aboutthe significance of the opening of the 663km-long National Road 14.
* In your opinion, what will be the impact of National Road 14 on ethnic people living in the Central Highlands?
NationalRoad 14 is 663 km long. It is a part of the 3,183km Ho Chi Minh Highwayrunning from Lang Son in the upper north to Ca Mau on the southerncape.
Before it opened on July 11, travelling from Ho Chi MinhCity to Buon Ma Thuot in the Central Highlands or vice versa took 12hours. In the rainy season, it would take much longer time. But now thetime has been cut to nine hours.
The completion of the road 18months ahead of time has contributed to socio-economic development aswell as the defence and security in the Central Highlands.
In addition, the road will become a driving force for economic development for all provinces that it runs through.
* How do you anticipate capacity to attract investment in the Central Highlands following the opening of National Road 14?
Followingthe second investment promotion conference held in April, 2013, 262projects were registered in the Central Highlands with a total capitalregister worth 50 trillion VND (2.3 billion USD).
The thirdinvestment promotion conference held in the Central Highlands in Maythis year focused on social security. At that conference,representatives from the five Central Highlands provincial People'sCommittees of Kon Tum, Gia Lai, Dak Lak, Dak Nong and Binh Phuoc awardedinvestment certificates to 13 projects with a total with a totalregistered capital of more than 16.6 trillion VND (770.5 million USD).
I'mconfident that with the opening of National Road 14, many moreinvestors inside and outside Vietnam will choose the Central Highlandsas their investment destination.
* Quite a few people have complained about the high toll fees on Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) roads. How do you respond to that?
Atpresent the Ho Chi Minh Highway has five toll stations. It is projectedthat the toll will be about 30,000 VND (1.40 USD) per vehicle. Thismeans, if the vehicle travels the whole length, drivers will have to pay150,000 VND (6.90 USD). So, if we compare what drivers can save and thefee they have to pay, no doubt the driver earns a lot of benefits.
Forexample before National Road 14 was completed, the travelling time of avehicle from Dak Lak to HCM City was about 12 hours. But now, it hasbeen cut to eight hours. As a result, each driver can save almost onethird of fuel costs.
Roughly speaking, the new road will helpCentral Highlands authorities save more than 3 trillion VND (138.8million USD) per year. This is much higher than the annual revenuecollected by some provinces in the region.
* More recently, theCentral Highlands Steering Committee petitioned to the Ministry ofTransport to ask the Government to use the State budget to buy back tollstations on Road 14. Will you please further elaborate?
LastApril, when road 14 was about to be completed, the Central HighlandsSteering Committee asked the National Assembly Standing Committee andthe Prime Minister to consider the possibility of using the State budgetto buy back a few finished BOT projects on the Ho Chi Minh Highwayrunning through the Central Highlands. This would have meant road userswould not have had to pay toll fees.
The objective of theproposal was to help the Central Highlands quickly get rid of itscurrent difficulties and embark on the path the sustainable development.
However,in its reply, the Ministry of Transport said the National Assembly hadno plans to allow the Government to sell new bonds to raise money.
*The portion of the Ho Chi Minh Highway running through the CentralHighlands was completed 18 months ahead of time. This was a greateffort, don't you think?
I think, the merits should go to variousparties, including the Ministry of Transport, the five provincialPeople's Committees, the HCM Project Steering Committee, the contractorsand others.
The early completion of National Road 14 has greatsignificance for the Central Highlands's socio economic development. Itis a significant present for the coming congresses of local PartyCommittees and the 12th National Party Congress.-VNA
* In your opinion, what will be the impact of National Road 14 on ethnic people living in the Central Highlands?
NationalRoad 14 is 663 km long. It is a part of the 3,183km Ho Chi Minh Highwayrunning from Lang Son in the upper north to Ca Mau on the southerncape.
Before it opened on July 11, travelling from Ho Chi MinhCity to Buon Ma Thuot in the Central Highlands or vice versa took 12hours. In the rainy season, it would take much longer time. But now thetime has been cut to nine hours.
The completion of the road 18months ahead of time has contributed to socio-economic development aswell as the defence and security in the Central Highlands.
In addition, the road will become a driving force for economic development for all provinces that it runs through.
* How do you anticipate capacity to attract investment in the Central Highlands following the opening of National Road 14?
Followingthe second investment promotion conference held in April, 2013, 262projects were registered in the Central Highlands with a total capitalregister worth 50 trillion VND (2.3 billion USD).
The thirdinvestment promotion conference held in the Central Highlands in Maythis year focused on social security. At that conference,representatives from the five Central Highlands provincial People'sCommittees of Kon Tum, Gia Lai, Dak Lak, Dak Nong and Binh Phuoc awardedinvestment certificates to 13 projects with a total with a totalregistered capital of more than 16.6 trillion VND (770.5 million USD).
I'mconfident that with the opening of National Road 14, many moreinvestors inside and outside Vietnam will choose the Central Highlandsas their investment destination.
* Quite a few people have complained about the high toll fees on Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) roads. How do you respond to that?
Atpresent the Ho Chi Minh Highway has five toll stations. It is projectedthat the toll will be about 30,000 VND (1.40 USD) per vehicle. Thismeans, if the vehicle travels the whole length, drivers will have to pay150,000 VND (6.90 USD). So, if we compare what drivers can save and thefee they have to pay, no doubt the driver earns a lot of benefits.
Forexample before National Road 14 was completed, the travelling time of avehicle from Dak Lak to HCM City was about 12 hours. But now, it hasbeen cut to eight hours. As a result, each driver can save almost onethird of fuel costs.
Roughly speaking, the new road will helpCentral Highlands authorities save more than 3 trillion VND (138.8million USD) per year. This is much higher than the annual revenuecollected by some provinces in the region.
* More recently, theCentral Highlands Steering Committee petitioned to the Ministry ofTransport to ask the Government to use the State budget to buy back tollstations on Road 14. Will you please further elaborate?
LastApril, when road 14 was about to be completed, the Central HighlandsSteering Committee asked the National Assembly Standing Committee andthe Prime Minister to consider the possibility of using the State budgetto buy back a few finished BOT projects on the Ho Chi Minh Highwayrunning through the Central Highlands. This would have meant road userswould not have had to pay toll fees.
The objective of theproposal was to help the Central Highlands quickly get rid of itscurrent difficulties and embark on the path the sustainable development.
However,in its reply, the Ministry of Transport said the National Assembly hadno plans to allow the Government to sell new bonds to raise money.
*The portion of the Ho Chi Minh Highway running through the CentralHighlands was completed 18 months ahead of time. This was a greateffort, don't you think?
I think, the merits should go to variousparties, including the Ministry of Transport, the five provincialPeople's Committees, the HCM Project Steering Committee, the contractorsand others.
The early completion of National Road 14 has greatsignificance for the Central Highlands's socio economic development. Itis a significant present for the coming congresses of local PartyCommittees and the 12th National Party Congress.-VNA
