Resources being mobilised to complete Cat Linh-Ha Dong railway project hinh anh 1Deputy Minister of Transport Nguyen Ngoc Dong speaks at the Government’s regular press conference on June 2 (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam will pay 95 percent of the value of the contract for the Cat Linh-Ha Dong urban railway project when the project is completed, Deputy Minister of Transport Nguyen Ngoc Dong said at the Government’s regular press conference on June 2.

He made the remarks while replying to a question about the Ministry of Transport (MoT)’s responsibility in the project, especially the Chinese contractor’s recent demand for 50 million USD to be paid before the entire line’s trial run.

Dong said the payment must be made in line with the signed contract, noting that 95 percent of the contract’s value will be paid when the project is completed and pass checks. The remaining five percent will be kept for maintenance like in other investment projects.

The MoT’s Railway Management Board, which is the project’s investor, is responsible for making the payment, the Deputy Minister noted, adding that it has paid 80 percent of the contract’s value according to the finished workload and the contract.

Meanwhile, the ministry is responsible for directing the Railway Management Board in working with the contractor and mobilising resources for the project implementation, Dong said.

Efforts are being made to, together with relevant agencies, complete the project, assess its safety and put the line into operation, according to him.

Despite 99 percent of the workload being completed, the project’s commercial operations have experienced multiple setbacks and been delayed eight times since construction began in 2011.

The 13.5-km-long railway line, from Cat Linh in Ba Dinh district to Ha Dong district of Hanoi, has a total investment capital of approximately 886 million USD after several adjustments, funded by Chinese ODA./.
VNA