Don't let mergers slow down public investment.

In Quang Nam's increasingly positive economic landscape, public investment remains a key driver of growth. However, despite the impressive GRDP growth in the first quarter of 2025, the disbursement of public investment capital remains a bottleneck, highlighting the urgent need for political will, coordinated action, and discipline from all levels and sectors.

The "bottlenecks" that need to be addressed.

In particular, with the province preparing to reorganize its administrative apparatus through mergers and streamlining, ensuring that public investment progress is not affected becomes an even more urgent task. According to a report from the Quang Nam Provincial People's Committee, the province's GRDP in the first quarter of 2025 grew by 7.4% compared to the same period last year. However, contrary to this growth trend, the disbursement of public investment capital is stagnating. As of March 28, 2025, the entire province had only disbursed VND 543.187 billion out of a total planned capital of over VND 8.311 billion, equivalent to only 6.5% - lower than the 9.8% in the same period of 2024 and also lower than the national average.

The causes are quite clear, with the most prominent being obstacles in compensation and land clearance. A representative from the Quang Nam Department of Finance stated that this remains the biggest "bottleneck," directly affecting the progress of the projects. Many localities are still struggling with implementation, lacking thorough and consistent guidance. In addition, the shortage of construction materials, especially sand and fill soil, has not yet been completely resolved.

The licensing of new material mines is facing difficulties due to inadequacies in the bidding process, leading to lengthy procedures. Many large, key projects still lack a stable supply of materials, causing delays in progress. Furthermore, coordination between relevant agencies and investors is ineffective, resulting in many obstacles not being resolved in a timely manner.

Notably, in recent times, the policy of merging district-level administrative units and streamlining the organizational structure has begun to create apprehension among a segment of officials and civil servants. Many are hesitant to handle work, especially procedures related to public investment projects, due to concerns about potential changes in the project owner, payment responsibilities, or project transfer. Some contractors are even reluctant to begin construction, worried that organizational adjustments will affect the acceptance and payment processes.

The coastal road is one of the important public investment projects in Quang Nam.

Be more decisive in directing and accelerating disbursement.

To achieve its growth targets, Quang Nam province has identified key tasks for the second quarter as boosting production and business, accelerating the disbursement of public investment, and continuing to support businesses in accessing credit, expanding markets, and creating momentum for economic recovery. In particular, the review of planning, implementation of major public investment projects, and national target programs are given top priority.

Chairman of the Quang Nam Provincial People's Committee, Le Van Dung, emphasized: "The province strives to achieve a 10% GRDP growth rate in 2025. Therefore, in the coming period, we must accelerate the implementation of the set goals, including the disbursement of public investment – ​​a key task in economic development."

Accordingly, the Provincial People's Committee has assigned specific responsibilities to each leader in charge of the project group; civil servants and officials have been assigned to closely monitor the progress of each project. The review of disbursement progress is conducted more frequently to accurately assess the situation, adjust capital plans promptly for slow projects, and reallocate funds to projects with genuine needs.

The province has also established numerous specialized task forces to inspect and monitor the progress of public investment disbursement. Cases that fail to meet the plan will be subject to serious review and disciplinary action, linking the results of implementation to the assessment of the work performance of the head of the agency or unit.

Recently, the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee requested that departments, agencies, and localities "focus all resources and definitively resolve difficulties" to maximize the disbursement of public investment capital in 2025. In particular, relevant agencies were instructed to review and classify all delayed projects, clearly stating the funding source, investor, implementation progress, and reasons for the delay. For projects that are no longer suitable or have low efficiency, proposals may be made to stop, terminate, and settle accounts according to regulations.

Quang Nam Provincial Party Secretary Luong Nguyen Minh Triet also issued strong directives on this issue. He requested the development of detailed disbursement plans for each project, especially those under national target programs. The Provincial Party Secretary also demanded stricter discipline and order in the disbursement of public investment capital, emphasizing: “The merger of administrative apparatuses must not become a reason for delays in work progress. If officials lack the necessary spirit and responsibility, it will be difficult for them to survive in the new system.” Mr. Triet also demanded an end to the practice of “avoiding and shifting responsibility,” clearly stating that all levels and sectors need to proactively participate in accelerating project progress. Strictly addressing cases of irresponsibility and delays is considered a key factor in restoring discipline in public investment management.

In the long term, Quang Nam province has also identified the important task of stabilizing the morale of its officials during the period of preparing for the merger of the administrative apparatus. Propaganda and ideological guidance efforts are being intensified to ensure that civil servants and public employees feel secure in their work and are not affected by organizational changes. "Even if there is only one day or one hour left, we must strive our best for the benefit of the people, businesses, and the sustainable development of the province," affirmed the leaders of Quang Nam province.

Source: https://thoibaonganhang.vn/khong-de-viec-sap-nhap-lam-cham-dau-tu-cong-163236.html