Transport minister fields questions about hot issues

Hanoi (VNA) – Minister of Transport Nguyen Van The was confronted with hot issues at the question-and-answer (Q&A) session of the ongoing 36th meeting of the National Assembly Standing Committee in Hanoi on August 15.

The minister was questioned about the construction of the North-South expressway, automatic charge collection, and solutions to ensure the progress of the Trung Luong – My Thuan – Can Tho expressway.

Regarding the construction of the North-South expressway, Minister The said this is a national key project, so all procedures, including biddings to select investors, must be carried out according to law, ensuring the quality and progress.

As the project has special significance in security–defence and economy–society, such matters must be particularly taken into account, he stressed.

He revealed that the ministry has approved the project and is making design and estimate.

The ministry had also reported to the Government to ask for opinions from agencies to implement this project and guarantee its economic, defence and security significance.

Regarding the construction of the Trung Luong – My Thuan, My Thuan – Can Tho, and My Thuan 2 Bridge, the minister said the Ho Chi Minh City – Trung Luong – My Thuan – Can Tho is one of the most important roads in the Mekong Delta.

The Government started this project 10 years ago but the progress to this moment remains slow.

For the Trung Luong – My thuan part, the Government has decided to provide an additional 2,186 trillion VND (94 billion USD) to support investors and allow them to adjust the project, which was later approved by the People’s Committee of the Mekong Delta province of Tien Giang.

Investors poured about 3 trillion VND and the remainder was from credit institutions, he said.

The Government has assigned the Governor of the State Bank of Vietnam to direct banks to support about 6 trillion VND for the Trung Luong – My Thuan project, The said.

With such investment, the project is expected to open to traffic the Trung Luong – My Thuan section and complete the others by 2021, according to the direction of the Prime Minister.

Regarding My Thuan 2 Bridge, the minister said the National Assembly has arranged over 5.1 trillion VND for this project, adding that the transport ministry is making design and estimate for the bridge and plans to begin its construction in the first quarter of 2020.

He further said the ministry will open biddings to select investors for the My Thuan – Can Tho project from now to the year’s end, while working with the Mekong Delta provinces of Dong Thap and Vinh Long to hand over the construction site and strive to push the progress.

As for the automatic charge collection, Minister The said Resolution 437 of the NA Standing Committee requests the acceleration of this work, striving to complete the building of 44 toll stations and 620 lanes by the end of this year.

Last month, the Prime Minister continued directing the Ministry of Transport and investors to push ahead with this task, he said.

The Vietnam Expressway Corporation has 226 automated non-stop toll stations but the implementation progress is very slow, he said, adding that the ministry reported the situation to the Prime Minister and the Committee for State Capital Management at Enterprises.

By December 31, the ministry will stop collecting charges at all toll stations which do not apply automated non-stop ones, he affirmed.

The minister also fielded questions about difficulties in calling for social investment to airports, saying the Government’s viewpoint in this matter is striving to harmonise benefits between foreign investors and the Airports Corporation of Vietnam and State-run firms.-VNA