Disbursement of public investment capital: Need for flexible and specific mechanisms

On the morning of October 30, continuing the working program of the 10th Session of the 15th National Assembly, delegates discussed the socio-economic situation with many important contents.

Contributing opinions at the discussion session, Deputy Head of the National Assembly Delegation of Dak Lak province Le Dao An Xuan mentioned the progress of disbursement of public investment capital in the context of province merger and operation of 2-level local government.

Delegate Le Dao An Xuan emphasized: Public investment capital (PIT) disbursement is a key fiscal policy tool. Delay in disbursement means wasting resources and weakening the ability to achieve the set economic growth targets.

The delegates said that the people highly appreciated the close direction of General Secretary To Lam, along with the drastic participation of the National Assembly , the Government, the Prime Minister and ministries and branches in urging and directing localities to speed up the disbursement progress.

However, according to the Government Report, by the end of September 2025, 29/42 ministries, central agencies and 15/34 localities still had disbursement rates below the national average, while the report estimated the whole year to reach 100%. Delegates expressed concern: "If it reaches 100%, it is very good, but if it is not achieved in reality, a correct and close assessment of the situation will help the Government and localities to be proactive and more effectively implement the next goals, especially in the context of the two-level local government just coming into operation."

Deputy Head of the Provincial National Assembly Delegation Le Dao An Xuan spoke at the discussion. (Photo provided by the Provincial National Assembly Delegation)

According to delegates, streamlining the apparatus according to Resolution 18 is a correct policy, aiming to eliminate intermediate levels, reform administration and improve the investment and business environment. However, in the initial phase of operating the 2-level local government model, local practice shows that many new factors affect the disbursement progress.

First of all, many legal documents change when operating a two-level local government, including the disruption of management subjects. Although the guiding documents were issued early by ministries and branches, they still did not fully anticipate situations, were not synchronized, and were mainly issued after practical problems arose.

The delegate gave an example: The Ministry of Finance issued Official Dispatch 4738 dated April 14, 2025 to guide the transition of management of the DTC plan, but did not fully anticipate the complex issues arising in financial management or contract expiration that affect the implementation and payment process.

Besides, site clearance, compensation, support and resettlement are among the biggest difficulties in disbursing ODA, and are now even more difficult in the context of the new government organization.

Many communes and wards face difficulties when being assigned the authority to appraise land prices, approve compensation plans, etc. This is a process that requires high expertise, is time-consuming, and is prone to complaints, leading to the phenomenon of officials being afraid of legal risks; Other regulations on land also give rise to many shortcomings.

Project management boards are assigned to be the project investors, receiving transfers from the district level, but lack clear guidance on organizational structure and specific authority. By the end of September 2025, the Ministry of Construction will have a document guiding the rearrangement of specialized and regional project management boards and allowing localities to establish commune-level project management boards if qualified.

The merger and transfer of tasks caused personnel disruption, leading to a lack of specialized and experienced staff to handle complex land clearance records or dialogue with people.

In addition, disbursement by localities is still slow due to a number of objective reasons such as slow capital plan delivery, complicated investment procedures, poor contractor capacity, etc.

Overview of the working session. Photo: quochoi.vn

The delegate said: Despite many difficulties, localities, including Dak Lak province, are urgently reaching the finish line. Many flexible solutions have been applied such as focusing on perfecting the apparatus, organizing thematic meetings, and field inspection teams to promptly grasp and resolve difficulties within their authority, including situational solutions such as requiring units to settle accounts as they work, and replacing incompetent contractors to promptly disburse funds.

In the spirit of looking straight ahead and making correct assessments, with the highest goal of completing the disbursement target with the best quality and most efficiency, delegates recommended that the Government add the above assessments to the report assessing the implementation of the state budget in 2025.

At the same time, it is recommended that the Government continue to improve and supplement legal regulations related to public investment, land, construction, etc. in accordance with the 2-level local government model; accelerate the amendment of the Land Law. While waiting for the amendment, it is necessary to urgently issue documents guiding the removal of difficulties and obstacles in the spirit of Resolution 206/2025 of the National Assembly, allowing the application of land price tables in compensation and resettlement; promptly amend and supplement Decree No. 104/2024 on the Land Development Fund, so that provinces have a basis for implementation and improve the efficiency of land resource use for development.

Along with that, consider allowing the implementation of some specific mechanisms to streamline public investment procedures in the transitional period such as shortening project appraisal time, allowing the appointment of consulting contractors for projects transferred from the district level, or giving stronger authority to the provincial People's Committee to decide on project adjustments within the allocated budget.

Delegates participating in the discussion session. Photo: quochoi.vn

Another solution proposed by delegates is to adjust the capital plan flexibly: In the context of only 2 months left, many projects will find it difficult to disburse 100% of capital despite great efforts. Therefore, it is recommended that competent authorities allow an extension of the disbursement time for projects and target programs facing objective difficulties (such as due to the impact of changes in legal regulations when implementing 2-level local government), specifically, it is possible to extend the disbursement to the first quarter of 2026 for some capital items if the disbursement procedures are unfinished and can be completed early next year.

Delegate Le Dao An Xuan also said that, drawing on the experience of previous years, the Government needs to promptly announce the planned capital level for 2026 so that localities can proactively develop plans according to general requirements, as well as capital limits for each locality and promptly issue regulations on principles, criteria, and norms for allocating the medium-term public investment plan for the period 2026 - 2030, in which consideration should be given to promoting decentralization and delegation of authority to localities to proactively implement investment tasks from the central budget with targeted support, in accordance with the development requirements of each locality in the coming period.

In addition, attention should be paid to allocating capital to invest in national highways managed by the Ministry of Construction, which have now been transferred to localities to ensure resources to carry out assigned tasks; continuing to organize training and professional guidance for grassroots officials, promptly implementing staff assessment through KPIs; promoting digital transformation;...

“Short-term solutions, in the context of the two-level local government gradually operating stably as above, not only help to remove difficulties in disbursement for localities, but also accompany and create more trust for the grassroots level, especially at the commune and ward levels, creating a foundation and motivation to successfully carry out the tasks set out in the next period of 2026 - 2030”, Deputy Head of the Provincial National Assembly Delegation Le Dao An Xuan emphasized.

Source: https://baodaklak.vn/chinh-tri/202510/ky-hop-thu-10-quoc-hoi-khoa-xv-giai-ngan-von-dau-tu-cong-can-co-che-linh-hoat-dac-thu-2c908c0/