Deputy Inspector General of the Government Le Sy Bay announced the decision to inspect the Ministry of Construction and several other ministries in July - Photo: TTCP
On November 8, the Government Inspectorate announced the conclusion of its inspection of troubled projects at the Ministry of Construction. The inspection agency discovered many violations at the Bac Giang - Lang Son BOT traffic project and several other projects.
Inspectors found violations
According to the conclusion, in 2015, the former Ministry of Transport (now the Ministry of Construction) issued a decision approving the Bac Giang - Lang Son BOT project with a total investment of more than 12,188 billion VND. The investor mobilized equity and loans to implement the project, recovering capital through toll collection.
The inspection results showed that the Ministry of Transport issued a decision approving the investment project without re-establishing the environmental impact assessment report, which is not in accordance with the provisions of the Law on Environmental Protection.
The Ministry also issued a decision approving the investment project before the Ministry of Finance commented on the location of the toll station on National Highway 1. This was determined to be "not consistent with the Prime Minister's direction," the conclusion stated.
At the same time, the inspection agency assessed that determining the construction project implementation time from 2015 to 2017 was "not consistent with reality".
Notably, the inspection agency discovered that some construction costs were miscalculated, increasing the total investment value of the project by more than VND309 billion.
Responsibility for errors in the above estimates, according to the inspector, belongs to the project consultant, appraisal agency, Ministry of Construction and related organizations and individuals.
Bac Giang - Lang Son BOT road project - Photo: TUAN PHUNG
In addition, the inspection agency also discovered that the design consulting consortium made inaccurate traffic forecasts, calculating a sudden increase in traffic volume starting in 2020, increasing by 131 - 186% compared to 2019.
“Incorrect traffic forecasting is one of the reasons leading to difficulties and problems of the project,” the conclusion stated.
During the project implementation period of 2015-2018, the inspectors discovered that the capital mobilization of enterprises and investors contributing capital to establish enterprises to implement the project was not in accordance with the approval decision. Investors did not contribute enough charter capital within the prescribed time limit.
The report of the People's Committee of Lang Son province shows that the enterprise submitted to the competent authority for approval the final settlement of investment capital for the Bac Giang - Lang Son BOT project with a value of 8,387 billion VND. The People's Committee of Lang Son province approved the final settlement with a value of 8,161 billion VND.
The inspection results showed that the completed estimate was miscalculated, increasing the incorrect value by nearly 80 billion VND. The project enterprise incorrectly calculated some contents, leading to a reduction in value when settling the project investment capital of more than 93 billion VND.
“The project did not achieve its initial goals, had low efficiency, and at the time of inspection, revenue did not meet the financial plan in the BOT contract and the signed appendices, leading to the project enterprise not collecting enough tolls to pay interest and principal of bank loans,” the conclusion stated.
Organize review and handle responsibility of those involved in violations
The Government Inspector General recommended that the Prime Minister direct the Ministry of Construction, the Ministry of Finance, and the People's Committee of Lang Son province to organize a review to handle responsibilities and take strict disciplinary measures according to regulations for leaders of agencies in each period related to violations.
When conducting an inspection conclusion, if a violation of criminal law is discovered, causing damage to State money or property, the information, case files, and related documents will be transferred to the investigation agency for consideration and handling according to regulations.
Regarding economic handling, the inspection agency proposed that the People's Committee of Lang Son province, the investor, and the Bac Giang - Lang Son BOT Joint Stock Company reduce the project investment capital settlement with a value of nearly 98.7 billion VND.
The People's Committee of Lang Son province directed the Bac Giang - Lang Son BOT Joint Stock Company to consult with the norm-setting unit, the Institute of Economics (Ministry of Construction), to clarify the application of the norms issued in 2020 of this province.
The Provincial People's Committee submits to competent authorities to remove difficulties and obstacles of the project according to regulations.
The People's Committees of Lang Son and Bac Giang provinces must coordinate with investors and enterprises to complete land allocation procedures and arrange capital sources to pay compensation and site clearance costs according to legal regulations and signed BOT contracts.
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/du-an-bot-bac-giang-lang-son-du-toan-sai-lam-tang-tong-muc-dau-tu-309-ti-dong-20251108214414386.htm
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