Transport ministry accelerates disbursement of $3.9b budget for 2023

Ministry of Transport asks investors and project management units to accelerate progress as scheduled. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — The Ministry of Transport has committed to increasing disbursement of public investment capital in a bid to speed up and ensure progress and quality of projects.

The ministry will also propose specific and feasible solutions to tackle problems and shortcomings for some build-operate-transfer (BOT) projects.

According to Deputy Minister Nguyễn Danh Huy, the total disbursement plan for 2023 is about VNĐ95 trillion (US$3.92 billion), of which VNĐ94 trillion is for this year’s plan and VNĐ1 trillion is the remaining of 2022’s plan.

Specifically, from the beginning of the year, the ministry has disbursed about VNĐ71.2 trillion ($2.93 billion) including VNĐ4,075 billion of foreign capital and VNĐ67,125 billion of domestic capital, reaching 75.6 per cent of the plan assigned by the Prime Minister.

These results were thanks to the efforts of investors and project management units (PMUs) in co-ordinating and providing maximum support to the contractors in project acceptance and payment work, said Huy.

To speed up progress and ensure the quality of projects, the ministry has issued many documents instructing investors, PMUs and contractors to update implementation progress in detail to set up effective management and administration plans and solutions for specific projects and construction of bridges, underground tunnels, culverts and reinforce slopes in accordance with the roadbed construction progress and ensuring traffic safety and environmental protection.

Regarding management and operation of expressways, the ministry has urgently poured money into smart traffic systems, building rest stops and installing weighing stations as well as starting to mull toll collection plans.

In addition, the ministry has approved in principle three component projects of the North-South Expressway including Diễn Châu-Bãi Vọt, Nha Trang-Cam Lâm and Cam Lâm-Vĩnh Hảo without exit barriers and mixed toll lanes.

The ministry has also asked relevant agencies to review and adjust existing regulations to increase the operating speed on some expressways to 90km per hour by the first quarter next year.

The Department for Roads of Việt Nam (DRVN) and local departments of transport were asked to organise inspections for the operation of passenger transport businesses and bus stations.

The ministry has also strengthened field inspection work, closely co-ordinated with local authorities and sectors to promptly remove difficulties and obstacles, especially materials for the construction of key projects to accelerate project progress and ensure project quality.

Investors and PMUs were asked to focus on completing the remaining items of the projects of Mỹ Thuận Bridge 2 and Mỹ Thuận-Cần Thơ Highway to put into operation late this month.

In addition, the ministry has also promoted inspections and supervisions to grasp and promptly resolve arising problems, difficulties and obstacles in projects, as well as develop highway standards and complete proposals for specific, feasible solutions to handle problems and inadequacies for some BOT projects.

With the goal of disbursing at least 95 per cent as required by the Government, the ministry has drastically directed investors and PMUs to speed up project progress and disbursement of public investment capital. — VNS