PM Pham Minh Chinh speaks at the conference. (Photo: Tran Hai)

Addressing at an online conference on June 22, the Government leader urged all levels of government to stay focused and not allow the organisation of two-tier local administration model to delay or disrupt other national priorities.

The programme to eliminate temporary and dilapidated houses has achieved notable results, with nearly 263,000 housing units addressed to date, including 225,000 houses inaugurated and 38,000 under construction. Thirty-eight provinces and cities across the nation have already fulfilled their targets.

PM Chinh called on relevant ministries, agencies and localities to kick start construction on the remaining 14,577 houses to complete the programme by August 31, requesting homes for people who rendered service to the nation must be finalised by July 27 as a tribute to their contributions.

He emphasised competent sides must ensure that achievements in the removal of substandard houses stand as one of the 80 flagship projects celebrating the 80th National Day, requesting them to prepare for and organise displays showcasing eight decades of development by their respective ministries, agencies, local governments, and the nation as a whole

Meanwhile, the transport sector has witnessed substantial advancement in major national projects. Nineteen projects and project components have been brought into operation, particularly the expansion of the expressway network from 1,327 kilometres to 2,268 kilometres. Besides, Terminal 3 at Tan Son Nhat International Airport has also been successfully commissioned. Fifty-two additional projects are under active construction, keeping pace with their planned schedules.

PM Chinh ordered ministries, sectors, and localities to settle challenges such as site clearance, compensation, resettlement, rising material costs, and limitations in bidding and inspection work, demanding quick progress on feasibility studies and procedures for projects like the expansion of the Ho Chi Minh City – Long Thanh expressway, Dau Giay – Tan Phu route, the third component of the Ring Road 4 in Ha Noi Capital Region, and Tan Phu – Bao Loc, Bao Loc – Lien Khuong and Ho Chi Minh City – Moc Bai routes.

For the Long Thanh International Airport project, the Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Construction were asked to direct competent agencies to monitor safety, quality, and progress, and to overcome weather-related delays to ensure completion within 2025.

Public investment disbursement in the first six months of the year reached 264.8 trillion VND (10.13 billion USD), or 32.06% of the annual plan. Up till now, nearly 7.36 trillion VND remains undistributed across 17 ministries and 21 localities. A total of 61 central and local agencies disbursed below the national average.

Prime Minister Chinh emphasised that responses to violations and delays in managing public investment capital have been neither timely nor strict enough, with some leadership showing lack of initiative and decisiveness, and confusion in direction and administration. He called for accountability down to individual officials and ordered that disbursement outcomes should be used as a metric in annual performance reviews.