"Thirst" for construction materials
The Tuyen Quang - Ha Giang expressway project (phase 1) - the largest and most important project - was scheduled to be inaugurated on December 19th. However, according to a report from the Department of Finance, as of October 30th, the total cumulative construction value was 2,301.14/4,717.467 billion VND, reaching only 48.78% of the contract value, 13% behind schedule.
The two key packages, numbers 19 and 53, of the Tuyen Quang - Ha Giang Expressway Project (Phase 1) are entering their final stages. However, the shortage of construction materials is significantly affecting the construction speed of most items.
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| The Ham Yen bridge project across the Lo River is behind schedule partly due to a shortage of construction materials. |
Mr. Vu Ngoc Oanh, the project manager for package 19, stated: The unit has mobilized 241 vehicles and machinery and nearly 300 engineers, carrying out construction on 17 fronts. The goal is to complete the sections from Km0+00 - Km3+875.89 and from Km10+255.91 - Km23+00 by mid-December to connect to the entire route. Project manager Vu Ngoc Oanh explained: According to the plan, once the roadbed is basically completed, other items will be implemented simultaneously, ensuring that each section is completed as it progresses.
However, currently, the extension of local traffic routes and culverts along the route are being constructed at a slow pace because the contractor supplying ready-mix concrete is unable to provide it due to a shortage of materials. It is known that in package 19, during the roadbed construction process, the contractors utilized leftover materials (stone) from the route opening to save on materials.
In packages 20, 21, 24… the shortage of construction materials is also a pressing issue for contractors. Mr. Pham Dac Dien, the project manager for package 20 (from km 23 - 43), said: The unit is currently constructing the roadbed and crushed stone base, requiring a large amount of stone daily, but the supplier is currently only meeting about 50% - 60% of the demand. The scarcity of construction materials has led to high prices; according to calculations, the price of various types of crushed stone has doubled compared to the initial estimate, and this greatly affects the construction progress.
According to reports from relevant authorities, projects such as the Tuyen Quang General Hospital project and the road construction project from My Lam hot spring resort to National Highway 2D, connecting to the Tuyen Quang - Phu Tho expressway, are unable to accelerate or make breakthroughs. The common reason is a shortage of construction materials.
Tan Ha Industrial Joint Stock Company, located in Minh Xuan ward, is one of the few businesses in the province capable of signing framework contracts to supply construction materials for key projects, but it currently has outstanding orders from many customers.
Mr. Hoang Duy Hiep, Head of Sales Department, Tan Ha Industrial Joint Stock Company, explained: Although a preliminary contract has been signed to supply common raw construction materials and ready-mix concrete to construction contractors, materials are currently very scarce. Mr. Hiep frankly admitted: As of November 14th, the company had only been able to supply ready-mix concrete to a few contractors, and crushed stone - a material for roadbed treatment - is still in short supply.
Similar to Tan Ha Industrial Joint Stock Company, Hiep Phu Limited Company in An Tuong ward is also having to postpone delivery of approximately 150,000 cubic meters of material to contractors due to a lack of supply.
What is the cause?
The core reason for the supply shortage, especially for construction projects, lies in the licensing process for material extraction and certain regulations controlling who can purchase materials for construction. In many cases, the extraction of materials for key projects requires close coordination among multiple departments and agencies, but this process lacks synchronization and flexibility.
The process of granting exploration permits, approving reserves, and issuing and renewing mining licenses for common building materials is complex, taking months or even years, and involves procedures related to planning, land, and the environment. According to Mr. Hoang Duy Hiep, Head of Business Department, Tan Ha Industrial Joint Stock Company, although the company has been granted a mining license, the permitted mining capacity is over 40,000 m3/year, while current demand is 5-7 times higher.
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| The ready-mix concrete production line of Tan Ha Industrial Joint Stock Company is temporarily shut down due to a shortage of materials. |
Furthermore, land clearance in planned mining areas also faces numerous obstacles. Many construction material mines are located in forest land, agricultural land, or areas with residential populations. Negotiations, relocation, and land-use conversion for mining often take a long time, slowing down the progress of bringing materials to market.
The shortage of construction materials has caused direct and serious consequences, forcing contractors to halt or slow down construction. This is the most obvious consequence. The scarcity has driven up the price of construction materials, far exceeding initial estimates, putting significant pressure on contractors' capital and requiring adjustments to the total investment of the project. Contractors face the risk of losses due to price differences, while the province also faces the risk of overspending on public investment, affecting the efficiency of budget utilization. Most importantly, the goal of completing the projects to celebrate the 14th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam may be missed.
Determined to resolve
Faced with the urgent need for construction materials, and to expedite the construction progress of projects, provincial task forces, led by the provincial People's Committee leaders, have repeatedly conducted inspections, and meetings involving departments, agencies, and construction contractors have been held to discuss solutions to overcome difficulties and regulate the supply of construction materials.
At the third meeting to review the progress of key projects and works scheduled for groundbreaking, commencement, and inauguration on December 19th, Provincial People's Committee Chairman Phan Huy Ngoc issued the following directives: Construction materials cannot be allowed to become a bottleneck affecting the progress of key projects, especially those commemorating the Congress. Departments and agencies must not evade or shirk responsibility. Ensuring sufficient construction materials supply must be considered a top political priority at this time.
Most recently, on November 6th, at a meeting to review the progress of public investment disbursement in the province, Mr. Nguyen Manh Tuan, Member of the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee and Permanent Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, affirmed the province's policy of using all state management tools to regulate the supply of construction materials for projects. The Department of Agriculture and Environment must urgently propose the most feasible solutions to ensure sufficient supply of construction materials for contractors.
Comrade Pham Manh Duyet, Member of the Provincial Party Committee, Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment, said: The Department has advised the province to approve 4 mining sites, including 3 limestone mines and 1 sand mine, located in areas where mineral exploitation rights are not subject to auction, to supply raw materials for the Tuyen Quang - Ha Giang expressway project.
To date, two mines have completed exploration and reserve approval, and are finalizing their economic-technical reports. They are expected to be completed and submitted for mining licenses in November. The Department is also advising the province on mechanisms to regulate the supply of construction materials from these mines to meet the construction needs of contractors.
Hopefully, with the decisive involvement of provincial leaders and relevant departments, the bottleneck regarding the shortage of construction materials will be quickly resolved, thereby accelerating the construction progress of projects and ensuring they are completed on schedule.
Letter Team
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Comrade Le Thanh Son
Director of the Department of Construction
Removing legal obstacles
In recent times, following the direction of the Provincial People's Committee, the Department of Construction has implemented many solutions to ensure the supply of construction materials for key projects. Currently, the Department of Construction is focusing on coordinating with relevant departments, agencies, and localities to urgently review and adjust mineral resource planning; resolve legal obstacles for mines; and publish a list of projects permitted to use materials under special mechanisms, helping mine owners and contractors to be proactive in exploitation and supply. At the same time, the department is also actively coordinating with functional forces to strengthen inspection and supervision of mining and transportation activities to prevent speculation, hoarding, or selling minerals extracted under special mechanisms to outsiders.
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Comrade Tran Viet Hung,
Director of Project Management Board for Construction Project No. 1
Proactively manage the transfer of materials between construction sites.
To ensure the progress of construction projects in the area, the unit has proactively implemented a solution of transferring fill soil between construction sites. Currently, the province has about 70 construction projects underway or completed, with a very large demand for fill soil, crushed stone, and other leveling materials. Some projects have excess quantities of materials, while many others are experiencing material shortages.
However, transporting materials, especially fill soil, also faced considerable difficulties due to long distances, high transportation costs, and limited vehicle access in some locations. In light of this, the Management Board proactively surveyed and sought additional suitable supply sources, prioritizing areas close to the construction site to reduce costs, shorten construction time, and ensure the quality of the foundation according to the design.
Besides utilizing fill soil between projects, the unit also balances other materials such as crushed stone and aggregate, coordinating closely with material quarries and contractors. These synchronized solutions help stabilize the supply, limit localized material shortages, and create conditions for continuous construction, meeting the province's overall progress schedule.
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Mr. Hoang Van Hoi
Construction and Industrial Production Joint Stock Company No. 3
(Thai Nguyen), contractor for the Landscape-Creating Water Dam Project, Ha Giang 1 Ward
A priority mechanism is needed.
Recently, the project has faced shortages of essential materials such as sand, stone, cement, and steel. In particular, for some imported equipment such as sluice gates, hydraulic actuators, hydraulic turbines, and water level turbines, the contractor had to proactively coordinate and order them well in advance to meet the construction schedule.
Currently, the Landscape-Enhancing Dam Project is entering its peak construction phase with a "3 shifts, 4 teams" system to accelerate completion by December 2025. The contractor earnestly requests that relevant authorities prioritize securing construction materials. Simultaneously, they hope for a more flexible and efficient process for licensing and verifying the origin of materials, especially those in short supply, to allow the contractor greater control over procurement. Furthermore, the contractor desires a streamlined process for procedures related to verifying material quantities, origins, and registering wharf areas, thereby reducing waiting times.
When obstacles are removed in a timely manner, contractors will be in a favorable position to accelerate progress, bring the project to completion on schedule, and ensure the quality and objectives of the project.
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Mr. Bui Kien Quyet
CEO of Hung Thinh 27/7 One-Member Limited Liability Company
Ensuring a supply of construction stone.
The company currently manages the Dong Doi quarry in Da Nang village, Son Duong commune, with an extraction capacity of over 70,000 m³ /year. The company proactively plans for extraction, transportation, and material storage to meet the increasing demand of construction projects, especially key projects, transportation infrastructure, and new rural development projects in the province.
The company conducts mining operations in accordance with the granted license, adheres to safety procedures, protects the environment, and is committed to preventing stone shortages, price gouging, or difficulties for construction units, especially for large-scale projects in the province.
Product quality control and price listing are carried out publicly, prices are adjusted appropriately according to regulations, and close coordination with local authorities is maintained in monitoring and protecting mineral resources and minimizing negative impacts on the environment and the lives of people near the quarrying area.
Source: https://baotuyenquang.com.vn/kinh-te/202511/go-nut-that-thieu-vat-lieu-xay-dung-89f2f8b/
![[Photo] The General Secretary works with the Executive Committee of the Hai Phong City Party Committee.](https://vphoto.vietnam.vn/thumb/1200x675/vietnam/resource/IMAGE/2026/03/16/1773629925474_vna-potal-tong-bi-thu-lam-viec-voi-ban-chap-hanh-dang-bo-thanh-pho-hai-phong-8644445-332-jpg.webp)
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