Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh speaks at the 19th meeting of the State Steering Committee for National Key Transport Projects on July 31. (Source: VNA)

Speaking at the meeting held both in-person and online with 26 provinces and cities, the PM highlighted the strategic importance of 2025 - a milestone year with major national anniversaries and a key period for completing the goals set by the 13th National Party Congress.

He stressed that achieving the year’s economic growth target of 8.3–8.5% requires a strong push in public investment, exports, and domestic consumption.

The Prime Minister emphasised that infrastructure development plays a vital role in boosting growth, reducing costs for businesses and people, and improving competitiveness. Since the beginning of the year, the Government has taken strong action to speed up infrastructure projects, with a focus on building over 1,000 kilometres of new expressways to reach a total of 3,000 kilometres by the year-end.

Key projects being prioritised include the coastal road network, Long Thanh International Airport, Terminal T3 at Tan Son Nhat International Airport, and several major seaports. Land clearance is also being prepared for the North–South high-speed railway and the Lao Cai–Ha Noi–Hai Phong railway.

Prime Minister Chinh reminded participants that only five months remain until the end of 2025, with much work left and high public expectations. He noted that the nationwide “500 Days and Nights” emulation campaign to complete the 3,000-kilometre expressway goal, launched in August 2024, has been running for nearly a year, and called for greater determination and discipline to see it through.

The government leader instructed all ministries and localities to assess progress made in the first half of 2025, identify remaining difficulties, and propose concrete solutions. Key issues to address include land clearance, relocation of technical infrastructure, availability of construction materials, and project management under the two-tier administration.

Calling the completion of 3,000 kilometres of expressways a “mission of the heart,” the Prime Minister urged ministries, sectors and localities to speed up and boldly act to finish the task right in 2025.