PM Chính asks transport sector to focus on infrastructure

Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính delivers a speech at the teleconference to review the activities of 2023 and outlined the plans for 2024 for the transport sector on Thursday. VNA/VNS Photo Dương Giang

HÀ NỘI — Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính has asked the transport sector to prioritise infrastructure investment, considering it one of the top-priority tasks this year.

This includes prioritising resources, monitoring progress, and ensuring quality of key projects such as the construction of the Long Thành International Airport and highway projects using the public-private partnership model.

The directives were issued during the teleconference to review the activities of 2023 and outlined the plans for 2024 for the transport sector. The conference, organised by the Ministry of Transport, was connected to 63 cities and provinces.

Minister of Transport Nguyễn Văn Thắng reported that in 2023, the ministry was among the earliest to propose and receive the Prime Minister’s approval for the national master plan for the transport sector. The ministry also completed the proposal for the investment strategy for the north-south high-speed railway and the plan to mobilise capital from the society for investing in airport infrastructure.

In 2023, the sector achieved breakthroughs in the development of transportation infrastructure with 26 projects initiated and 20 projects completed. Among them, nine components of the highway projects were put into operation, covering a total length of 475 kilometres. This increased the overall length of operational highways across the country to 1,892 kilometres.

2023 saw continued growth. By the end of this November, the volume of goods transported increased by 12.9 per cent, passenger volume increased by 11.5 per cent compared to the same period of the previous year.

In terms of public investment disbursement, the ministry was assigned a plan to disburse over VNĐ94 trillion (US$3.87 billion), the largest amount in history. As of this December, the disbursement volume reached about 90 per cent of the plan, and it is expected to exceed 95 per cent by the end of the year.

In ensuring traffic safety, the ministry handled 34 traffic hot spots and 49 accident-prone sites.

In the aviation sector, the ministry directed the Vietnam Air Traffic Management Corporation to ensure the safety of nearly 753,000 flights, accounting for nearly 114 per cent of the plan for 2023.

The ministry’s digital transformation efforts were highlighted as one of the most outstanding achievements. In 2023, the ministry completed four key tasks assigned in Project 06, including sharing drivers’ license data and vehicle registration data, promoting online public services for drivers’ license conversion, connecting the ministry’s administrative procedure system with the national population database, and building a digital repository of administrative procedure results.

Thắng stated that in 2024, the transport sector will continue to focus on building and improving institutional mechanisms to ensure smooth and safe transportation operations.

The sector has set a target for a 7 per cent increase in transportation volume, an 8 per cent increase in passenger numbers compared to 2023. The volume of goods passing through Việt Nam’s seaports in 2024 is targeted to reach about 785 million tonnes, a 4 per cent increase compared to 2023.

Speaking at the conference, PM Chính commended the achievements of the ministry in 2023.

According to the Prime Minister, in 2023, the ministry was assigned many important and challenging tasks. The ministry assigned leaders and agencies to supervise the implementation of new projects while addressing shortcomings and errors in ongoing projects. They also resolved difficulties, including issues related to land acquisition and site clearance.

The Prime Minister noted that during the development of the sector’s master plans, the ministry must adopt innovative thinking, strategic vision, and maximise the country’s unique potential and competitive advantages.

Furthermore, the planning must ensure connectivity and equality among regions and with neighbouring countries.

Regarding institutional improvement, PM Chính praised the ministry’s efforts in building and refining institutions. The ministry submitted 13 decrees to the Government, achieving 100 per cent of the Government’s plan.

The Prime Minister emphasised that the transport sector must focus on the development of transportation infrastructure. He also pointed out some limitations that the sector needs to overcome in managing transportation activities, controlling traffic accidents, deploying intelligent transportation systems (ITS), and attracting capital for the development of transportation infrastructure.

For local projects, the ministry must closely coordinate with localities to accelerate the execution progress while ensuring compliance with regulations and preventing corruption, he said. — VNS