Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh chairs the 14th meeting of the State steering committee for national key transport projects in Hanoi on September 17. (Photo: NDO)

PM Chinh, also head of the committee, highlighted that 40 transport projects are being carried out across 48 cities and provinces, saying since the clock is ticking for the nation to complete 3,000 kilometres of expressways by 2025 as set at the 13th National Party Congress, the whole political system, socio-political organisations, people, and contractors must join hands to carry out the projects in the spirit of "working together, winning together, benefiting together, and developing together”.

He went on to underscore that Typhoon Yagi and its aftermath has caused devastating damage to the northern region, and cost the nation roughly 40 trillion VND (1.6 billion USD), adding together with recovery measures, accelerating the disbursement of public investment, including in transport projects, will contribute to bolstering the economic growth.

At the 13th meeting of the steering committee on August 8, the PM assigned 42 tasks to ministries, sectors and localities, which focus on handling difficulties and bottlenecks, intensifying land clearance work, and providing building materials for key projects in the southern region.

Competent sides have so far completed 11 tasks in line with schedule, and are carrying out 29 others, while two have not met the deadline.

The Ministry of Construction has issued documents guiding localities in calculating construction material costs, and removed difficulties in expenditure management for key projects.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has submitted to the National Assembly Standing Committee adjustments to the resolution on changing land use purpose for the construction site of the eastern section of the North-South Expressway for the 2021-2025 period.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Planning and Investment submitted to the Government the draft law on adjusting and supplementing several articles of a number of laws to remove bottlenecks in investment and construction, and a proposal on adjusting the public investment plan in 2024.

The Commission for the Management of State Capital at Enterprises has presented to the Government an investment plan for expanding the Ho Chi Minh City – Long Thanh highway, and directed the Vietnam Electricity to guide its units in tackling difficulties regarding the relocation of high-voltage power lines.

In the meantime, the Ministry of Transport submitted to the Politburo a proposal investment policy for a North – South high-speed railway.

Localities across the nation also ramped up efforts to make pre-feasibility study reports on several projects, including the Ho Chi Minh City Ring Road 4 and the Ninh Binh – Hai Phong and Hoa Binh – Moc Chau highways, and complete dossiers on the adjustments of investment policies for many others like the Dong Dang – Tra Linh and Bien Hoa – Vung Tau highways, and Nam Thang Long urban area – Tran Hung Dao urban railway.

Notable progress has been made in site clearance of many projects, but Dong Nai, Binh Duong, Khanh Hoa and Lang Son provinces have not met requirements.