PM demands accelerated disbursement of public investment in HCM City hinh anh 1Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (R) inspects the Metro Line No.1 project. (Photo: VNA)
HCM City (VNA) - Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh requested Ho Chi Minh City to make greater efforts to accelerate the disbursement of public investment while visiting and inspecting construction sites of several transport and health projects in the southern largest economic hub on April 15 afternoon.

Inspecting the progress of An Phu interchange project in Thu Duc city, PM Chinh asked relevant units to spend efforts completing the project by April 30, 2025 on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Liberation of the South and National Reunification Day.

The An Phu interchange project, when it is completed, will connect Ho Chi Minh City-Long Thanh-Dau Giay Expressway with Mai Chi Tho Boulevard in order to ease traffic pressure on one of the worst bottlenecks in the southern metropolis, has a total investment of 3.4 trillion VND (145 million USD).

Taking a test run of a metro train from Rach Chiec Station to Suoi Tien Station as part of the Metro Line No.1 project (Ben Thanh - Suoi Tien), the Government leader requested the construction of Ho Chi Minh City’s first metro line to be completed by September 2 this year on the occasion of the 78th National Day and the 50th anniversary of the establishment of Vietnam-Japan diplomatic relations.

The PM also talked with Japanese Ambassador to Vietnam Yamada Takio at the construction site, during which he thanked the Japanese Government for supporting Vietnam in developing strategic infrastructure, including the first metro line in Ho Chi Minh City.

He proposed Japan continue providing new-generation ODA loans to Vietnam for its infrastructure development, including the second metro line in the southern metropolis (Metro Ben Thanh-Tham Luong).

The first metro line, which spans 19.7 kilometres from Ben Thanh Station in District 1 to Long Binh Depot in Thu Duc city, has a total capital of 43.7 trillion VND. Work on this project started in 2012, and over 94% of its workload has been completed.

PM Chinh also inspected the progress of the 1,000-bed Thu Duc regional general hospital project worth over 1.9 trillion VND.

He requested HCM City to soon complete the disbursement of 1.5 trillion VND in public investment allocated for Thu Duc, Hoc Mon and Cu Chi hospitals in 2023, ensuring compliance with regulations.

PM demands accelerated disbursement of public investment in HCM City hinh anh 2Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh visits and presents gift to a patient at the Ho Chi Minh City Oncology Hospital’s second facility (Photo: VNA)
On the day, the Government leader also attended the inaugural ceremony of the Ho Chi Minh City Oncology Hospital’s second facility.

Construction on the 1,000-bed facility worth 249 million USD began in June 2016. It was partially put into operation in late 2020.

Speaking at the inaugural event, Chinh affirmed that the Party and State have always paid great attention to the care and protection of people's health./.
VNA