North-South high-speed railway: Opportunity of a millennium or challenge of the century?

TPO - "The North-South high-speed railway is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, but if not ready, it could also be a century-old challenge for the Vietnamese construction industry in general and domestic contractors in particular," said Mr. Nguyen Quoc Hiep - Chairman of the Vietnam Association of Construction Contractors.

Need a liability waiver policy

Sharing at the seminar "North-South high-speed railway: Opportunity for the private economy to break through in the new era" organized by Dan Viet newspaper this morning (May 14), Mr. Tran Thien Canh - Director of Vietnam Railways Department - said that recently the Prime Minister assigned the Ministry of Construction to develop policy mechanisms for projects such as the North-South high-speed railway, Lao Cai - Hanoi - Hai Phong railway, and urban railways in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

Accordingly, the Ministry of Construction has submitted 24 policies, including two outstanding new policies proposing to allow the use of ODA capital without having to pay taxes for some specific technical services, to expand the ability to cooperate with foreign partners.

In particular, the leader of the Vietnam Railway Authority said that there should be a policy of exemption from responsibility for those who dare to think, dare to do and dare to take responsibility for railway projects in general, and the North-South high-speed railway in particular.

Mr. Tran Thien Canh - Director of Vietnam Railways. Photo: Loc Lien.

“In the context of many officials being concerned about legal responsibilities, having a clear legal corridor to protect the executors is a prerequisite for the project not to be delayed due to systematic hesitation. Currently, the specific policy system is being fully completed, so what remains is the synchronous participation of ministries, branches and localities to turn the Resolution into a project,” Mr. Tran Thien Canh emphasized.

According to Mr. Canh, consulting engineers, especially foreign experts, will be empowered to make technical decisions at the construction site, instead of waiting for step-by-step approval from the investor.

In addition, the Railway Authority also proposed a flexible contract mechanism, meaning a contract based on actual work and adjustable unit prices to avoid disputes during project implementation.

Opportunity of a millennium or challenge of the century?

Also at the seminar, Mr. Ta Manh Thang - Deputy Head of the Department of International Cooperation and Science and Technology, Vietnam Railways Corporation (VNR) - said that in the context of Resolution 68 of the Politburo and related laws such as the Enterprise Law and the High Technology Law being amended in the direction of supporting the private sector, Vietnamese enterprises are facing great opportunities to access resources and technology in the railway sector.

However, it is necessary to recognize the fact that currently, Vietnamese private enterprises are still limited in accessing core technology - especially high-tech items. Therefore, the role of the State in designing technology transfer policies and supporting human resource training in EPC and PPP contracts of the North-South high-speed railway project is extremely important.

Vietnamese enterprises are facing great opportunities to access resources and technology in the railway sector. Illustration photo: Loc Lien.

Mr. Nguyen Quoc Hiep - Chairman of the Vietnam Association of Construction Contractors - commented that the financial capacity and organizational scale of many Vietnamese contractors are still small, while the bidding standards for the North - South high-speed railway project are extremely high. It is estimated that currently only about 20 Vietnamese enterprises can meet nearly all technical, technological and financial conditions.

However, we cannot wait for Vietnamese enterprises to mature on their own. Therefore, it is necessary to link and gather Vietnamese contractors from large to small to form a construction ecosystem that is capable of meeting the entire supply chain.

"The North-South high-speed railway is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, but if not ready, it could also be a challenge of the century for the Vietnamese construction industry in general and domestic contractors in particular," said Mr. Hiep.

Loc Lien

Source: https://tienphong.vn/duong-sat-toc-do-cao-bac-nam-co-hoi-ngan-nam-hay-thach-thuc-the-ky-post1742069.tpo