Delegates offer suggestions for building a North-South high-speed railway.

At its 8th session, the National Assembly will discuss the investment plan for the high-speed railway project on the North-South axis. Speaking with the Transport Newspaper on the sidelines of the National Assembly, many National Assembly deputies expressed strong agreement and also shared additional suggestions and comments on several aspects of the implementation process.

Representative Tran Hoang Ngan (Member of the Economic Committee, Ho Chi Minh City National Assembly Delegation): The right time to invest.

This is not the first time we have presented the North-South high-speed railway project. People have long dreamed and yearned to "have breakfast in Ho Chi Minh City and work in Hanoi in the afternoon." While we hesitated before due to a lack of resources, we now have sufficient potential and a solid foundation to implement it, especially with the strong support of the people and voters. Regarding resources, we are not worried because public debt (estimated at around 37% of GDP) is well controlled, far below the safe threshold, ensuring we can mobilize significant resources for investment. My biggest concern is safety; this must be prioritized above economic efficiency. We need to build a high-speed railway system that is as safe as possible, even if it means incurring higher costs. First and foremost, our country frequently experiences natural disasters like storms and floods. Secondly, meeting people's travel needs, enhancing connectivity, and reducing travel time will open up development opportunities in previously untapped areas, leading to overall benefits. This is a significant resource that supports high-speed rail, not just ticket prices. More importantly, at train stations and terminals, revenue from real estate under the Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) model is estimated to be very high. TOD is an urban development model that uses public transportation as the basis for planning, with transportation hubs as population centers, from which a dispersed transportation system is formed. In many countries, they reap substantial profits from these TOD areas. Furthermore, as development expands and tourism increases, revenue also rises. Therefore, many countries invest in high-speed rail using public funds, creating other benefits for the people. We should do the same and could mobilize bonds to implement the project. The important thing is to avoid scattered investment, invest in each area thoroughly, and ensure synchronized connectivity. TOD stations can be far from urban areas, and don't need to be located right near residential areas, but they need a bus and train system to connect with them. Representative Tran Van Lam (Standing Member of the Finance and Budget Committee, Bac Giang National Assembly Delegation): Public investment is reasonable.

It can be affirmed that public investment is fully capable of supporting the North-South high-speed railway project. According to the plan to build the entire line over 12 years with a projected total investment of 67 billion USD, meaning nearly 5.6 billion USD is needed annually, although this still represents a large proportion of public investment allocation, we can absolutely ensure its completion. Furthermore, calculations show that in the next 10 years, the country will enter a new, better growth cycle, so resources for public investment will be more efficient. Besides the high-speed railway, we have many other key infrastructure projects that need to be implemented. However, the Government has balanced resources in the medium term and currently has significant room for public debt. The ratio of public debt to government debt is lower than the ceiling set by the National Assembly. Therefore, if borrowing is necessary, we can fully utilize the public debt limit without pushing public debt to an excessively high level that would warrant a warning. On the other hand, when investing in a project, the most important concern is efficiency. While this project is assessed as highly efficient, positively impacting the economy's efficiency index, there is clearly no problem with borrowing for investment. Regarding project management and implementation capabilities, in reality, we have implemented a series of key projects at a rapid and groundbreaking pace in recent times, so we are fully capable of carrying it out. Many people mention resources from TOD (Transit-Oriented Development). I believe this is indeed a significant potential. In fact, if we effectively utilize the land surrounding the project, we could mobilize resources equivalent to half of the total investment. However, the government has not yet considered using those resources for this project. Because implementing such a large project requires guaranteed resources; we cannot rely solely on TOD. Meanwhile, resources from TOD depend on real estate prices and many other factors. If we rely on them, it would be like "counting crabs in a hole." For localities, the presence of transportation routes opens up significant opportunities to attract investment and development. To seize these opportunities, localities must proactively develop comprehensive plans and strategies tailored to their advantages and specific characteristics. No one can calculate this for them. Representative Tran Kim Yen (Ho Chi Minh City Delegation, Chair of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee's Inspection Committee): Effectively resolving the land acquisition issue.

The benefits of the North-South high-speed railway project are undeniable, and I fully support it. However, how to implement the project on schedule, how localities can seize the opportunity, and how to truly exploit its potential are issues that need discussion. At this session, the National Assembly will approve the policy for the project. From the approval of the policy to the implementation of procedures and commencement of construction, it is estimated to take about two years. Localities need to utilize this time to adjust their planning and plans. In key transportation projects, the biggest bottleneck is often land acquisition. Even with money, manpower, and resources, without land, implementation is difficult. From my observation, most localities are currently paying compensation for land acquisition at market prices, but from the perspective of the people living there, they will be at a disadvantage. The relocated people will have to change their living conditions and environment. So why don't we offer the displaced people compensation that is higher than market value, compensating them for not benefiting from the project, thereby accelerating the land clearance process? Ho Chi Minh City is participating in many key transportation projects, and the land clearance progress is very fast. I hope that, with the experience from those projects, the city will be able to participate effectively in the North-South high-speed railway project.

It is expected that on November 13th, the Minister of Transport, acting on behalf of the Prime Minister, will present the proposal on the investment policy for the high-speed railway project on the North-South axis. Following this, National Assembly deputies will discuss the matter in their respective groups. On November 20th, this will be discussed in the plenary session. The Minister of Transport will explain and clarify some issues raised by the National Assembly deputies. The resolution on the investment policy for the high-speed railway project on the North-South axis will be voted on and approved by the National Assembly on November 30th.

Source: https://www.baogiaothong.vn/dai-bieu-hien-ke-lam-duong-sat-toc-do-cao-bac-nam-192241024230817393.htm