(kontumtv.vn) – How to divide the bidding packages to ensure efficiency, effectiveness and efficiency is one of the contents discussed at the Workshop on Domestic Contractors Promoting Internal Strength to Participate in the Construction of the North-South High-Speed ​​Railway Project organized by the Railway Project Management Board ( Ministry of Construction ) in coordination with the Vietnam Association of Construction Contractors on March 21.

Photo caption
Nhon – Hanoi Railway Station urban railway line. Illustration photo: Huy Hung/VNA

The North-South high-speed railway project is a complex technical and technological project applied for the first time in Vietnam, with a total investment of about 67.34 billion USD; of which, the construction part is about 33.5 billion USD. This is a very potential market for domestic contractors but also a big challenge when contractors do not have experience in design and construction to participate in projects of similar nature.

According to Chu Van Tuan, Deputy Director of the Railway Project Management Board, with a large total investment, dividing bid packages with large values, and criteria when inviting bids with new technology requiring experience are also challenges for domestic construction enterprises because their financial capacity to participate in bidding is not yet met and there are no similar projects.

Railway Project Management Board informs: The Government plans to issue a Resolution implementing Resolution 172/2024/QH15 of the National Assembly on the North-South high-speed railway project this March. After that, select a project management consultant through international bidding from March to May 2025 and the next steps of the process. It is expected that from February 2027, bidding documents will be prepared, contractors will be selected and construction will start in December 2027.

“Currently, Vietnam does not have any enterprises building high-speed railways, so if we divide large bidding packages, it will raise issues of experience and financial capacity. Meanwhile, large enterprises in Vietnam only have capital from 500 - 1,000 billion VND, the number over 1,000 billion VND is not much. If participating in the construction of the North - South high-speed railway project, the financial capacity needs to be 10 - 15% of the bidding package, no enterprise can do it. In the case of international bidding, negotiating and signing with foreign countries is also difficult. At this time, the working mechanism, the participation of enterprises, and the percentage of work must be clear,” said Chairman of the Vietnam Association of Construction Contractors Nguyen Quoc Hiep.

Enterprises expressed their desire to separate the North-South high-speed railway project into two components, including: the construction component from the rails down such as bridges, roads, and tunnels; the mechanical technology component above the rails such as locomotives, carriages, and signal information.

Particularly for the component from the railway down, Deputy General Director of Deo Ca Group Nguyen Quang Dung proposed implementing the bidding mechanism as applied in the North-South Expressway project. This form helps shorten the time for selecting contractors and helps related parties coordinate quickly, minimizing the time to handle complicated administrative procedures, especially in implementation in difficult areas.

In addition, the authorities should also consider removing the criteria for selecting contractors according to the bidding law which stipulates "having carried out 1-2 projects of equivalent scale" and instead allowing the use of special subcontractors with high value up to 60-70%.

“This mechanism also helps minimize legal risks and delays related to international legal complaints or disputes between participating parties,” said a representative of Deo Ca Group.

On Phuong Thanh Tranconsin's side, Chairman Pham Van Khoi said that the North-South high-speed railway project should be divided into two parts: infrastructure below the rails and infrastructure above such as locomotives, carriages, signal information, etc.

Chairman Pham Van Khoi assessed that the mechanical technology above is relatively difficult for domestic enterprises and it takes a lot of time to learn. As for the infrastructure below the railway, enterprises with experience in undertaking similar highway projects can completely undertake it.

“Enterprises wish to have the opportunity to participate in the construction of the North-South high-speed railway project through the bidding mechanism, especially for construction and transportation enterprises that have been constructing large infrastructure projects in the country in recent times. Enterprises will proactively train staff, workers, invest in purchasing more technological equipment and machinery, and even hire domestic and foreign experts who have constructed similar projects to both work and study,” Mr. Pham Van Khoi shared.

Deputy Director of the Bidding Management Department Pham Thy Hung (Ministry of Finance) highly appreciated the spirit of promoting the internal strength of domestic enterprises and said that the policy always has mechanisms and policies to prioritize domestic enterprises to participate in key national projects such as the North-South high-speed railway project. The current regulations of the Bidding Law have a basis for applying contractor selection in special cases for this project.

Regarding the bidding mechanism, choosing domestic or international bidding, the current Bidding Law stipulates that domestic enterprises cannot do it before organizing international bidding. In case of international bidding, a joint venture with a domestic contractor must be established to carry it out.

In the future, when the revised Bidding Law has a direction to change, allowing domestic contractors to form joint ventures with foreign contractors, possibly special contractors as proposed by enterprises. At that time, domestic contractors will find experienced partners abroad and request technology transfer. This new viewpoint is to avoid the opinion that when forming a joint venture with a foreign contractor, it is difficult to transfer core technology of a difficult bidding package.

According to the Ministry of Construction (formerly the Ministry of Transport), together with investment in the North-South high-speed railway project, if including the national railway system, urban railways will create a construction market of 75.6 billion USD, of which the production of vehicles and equipment will be 34.1 billion USD.

Diep Anh (Vietnam News Agency)