Hanoi (VNA) - During the last term (2016-2020), the transportation sector had completed many infrastructure projects and began construction of several other major ones, making important contributions to the country’s socio-economic development.
Minister of Transport Nguyen Van The expects that each term of his ministry will be marked with symbolic projects. (Photo: Viet Hung/Vietnam+) With the viewpoint of prioritizing breakthrough traffic projects to create impetus for socio-economic development, Minister of Transport Nguyen Van The said in the next term, his sector will ask the Prime Minister and the Government to invest in key projects. This will ensure each term has a number of iconic works, contributing to the development of the national transportation infrastructure.
Breakthrough projects prioritised
- The North-South expressway and Long Thanh Airport are considered as key projects for the 2021-2025 term. What will the Ministry of Transport do to ensure the project finishes on schedule with quality?
Minister Nguyen Van The: The National Assembly Standing Committee has allowed the transport sector to change two Eastern North-South Expressway sub-projects from the form of public-private partnership to the form of public investment.
The two sub-projects are National Highway No.45 - Nghi Son and Nghi Son-Dien Chau.
The North-South Expressway project has a total length of 654km and is divided into 11 sub-projects. Investment for the sub-projects totals 100.8 trillion VND (4.3 billion USD), with 78.4 trillion VND sourced from the State budget.
According to the previous National Assembly’s resolutions, six of the 11 sub-projects were to be public-funded and five others implemented under the public-private-partnership (PPP) model.
From October 2-5 last year, project management boards opened bids to select investors for five of the sub-projects. However, only three sub-projects with two investors received bidding documents, namely Dien Chau - Bai Vot, Nha Trang - Cam Lam and Cam Lam - Vinh Hao.
It is necessary to invest in many more sections. Therefore, in the near future, the Ministry of Transport will continue to submit to the Government and National Assembly the second phase of the project to soon connect the entire highway.
The Ministry of Transport will prioritise breakthrough projects and create a mechanism to attract capital to socialize transport infrastructure. (Photo: Viet Hung/Vietnam+) Meanwhile, Long Thanh International Airport project phase 1 was officially launched on January 5, 2021.
Long Thanh International Airport phase 1 has a total investment of 109,111 billion VND (around 4,6 billion USD), including a runway meeting the latest international standards (4,000m long, 75m wide), a system of taxiways and aprons being able to receive all types of aircrafts, one passenger terminal covering an area of 373,000m2 with a capacity of 25 million passengers and 1.2 million tons of cargo a year. The phase 1 is expected to be completed and put into operation in 2025.
The goal of the project is to turn Long Thanh International Airport to a level-4F airport according to the International Civil Aviation Organization’s standards. Once completed, Long Thanh airport will become one of the international air transit hubs, serving the country’s air transportation development strategy and directly sharing the burden with overloaded Tan Son Nhat airport.
- What solutions will the Ministry of Transport have to call for investment in transport infrastructure in the near future, Minister?
Minister Nguyen Van The: In the next 5-10 years, our capital is rather limited while our needs are limitless. Therefore, the Ministry of Transport will ask the Prime Minister to focus investment in breakthrough projects, so that each term will be able to have iconic projects, contributing to the national transportation system.
The Ministry of Transport has proposed the Government create a mechanism which allows businesses access huge capital to form strong corporations that are able to invest in large projects.
The Ministry will coordinate with the State Bank of Vietnam, relevant ministries and sectors to study and develop appropriate mechanisms and policies on credit mobilisation for investment in transport infrastructure.
- Thank you, Minister.
