Restore order and discipline in consulting on investment in construction of transport works.

Lập lại kỷ cương công tác tư vấn đầu tư xây dựng các công trình giao thông vận tải - Ảnh 1. — Overcoming shortcomings in investment consulting work for construction of transport projects.

The Directive stated that, in recent times, investment consulting work in the construction of transport works and projects has achieved many remarkable results but still revealed some shortcomings, especially in survey and design; survey data and information are incomplete, inconsistent, and inaccurate; preliminary total investment, total investment, and construction estimates are not consistent with reality, leading to many projects having to adjust investment policies, adjust investment projects, adjust capital, total investment, estimates, etc., affecting the progress and efficiency of project investment. Although the Ministry of Transport has taken many remedial measures and timely rectification, it has not yet met practical requirements.

Inspect and examine slow-progressing projects

To restore order and discipline, overcome shortcomings in investment consulting work in the construction of transport works and projects, contributing to speeding up progress, improving quality and efficiency of works, the Prime Minister requested the Ministry of Transport to strictly comply with legal provisions on investment consulting activities in construction; resolutely and strictly handle organizations and individuals violating procedures, quality management, progress and cost management. Organize inspections and examinations of projects behind schedule; rectify the work of selecting consultants; strictly manage consulting contracts (pre-feasibility study reports, feasibility study reports, designs, estimates; appraisal; supervision). Strictly control the selection and management of subcontractors; strictly handle acts of transferring and selling contracts in violation of legal provisions; prevent loss, waste, negativity and group interests.

Specifically, regarding survey work, the Ministry of Transport must closely check the actual capacity of the survey unit compared to the bidding documents/proposal documents, ensuring quality in the preparation and approval of survey tasks and design tasks (complete survey data on topography, geology, hydrology, especially in areas with weak ground, areas with complex geological conditions, etc.).

Rectify survey work, especially geological survey, approve survey results reports, note that when surveying material mines and waste dumps, it is necessary to carefully survey the location, reserves, quality, supply capacity of the mines, exploitation procedures, reserves of waste dumps, transportation routes, plans for using internal and external public roads to meet project requirements; control the quality of documents, accept them in accordance with legal regulations; calculate site clearance costs, investigate and clarify the area, land type... agree with the locality on unit prices, compensation costs for site clearance, ensure that the total investment does not increase during the implementation process.

Regarding design consultancy, the Prime Minister requested to improve responsibility and ensure quality in construction investigation and survey work associated with the demand for construction materials (soil, stone, sand, gravel), environmental impact assessment...; design appraisal and selection of technical solutions must ensure the sustainability of the project and adapt to climate change.

Strictly implement the work of author supervision according to regulations, promptly coordinate with project participants to resolve issues related to design adjustments during construction; promptly overcome shortcomings and limitations of the documents pointed out by competent authorities during implementation, promptly complete the adjusted design documents so as not to affect the progress and quality of the project; be responsible according to the provisions of law for the quality of survey and design work; research optimal design solutions, technology suitable for the terrain, geology, hydrology conditions of the project area; the work of making construction estimates must ensure accuracy, sufficiency... not to increase capital during project implementation; strictly control the quality of documents of Pre-feasibility Study Report, Feasibility Study Report, and implementation design after basic design in accordance with the provisions of law.

Regarding appraisal consultancy, the Ministry of Transport strictly implements the requirements on legal and financial independence from investors and construction design consultants; arranges qualified staff, suitable for the scale, type and level of the project; improves the quality of appraisal work; is responsible before the law and investors for appraisal results.

Regarding supervision consultancy, the supervision consultancy contract must be strict, complete, clearly defining the responsibility of the supervision consultancy; there must be a mechanism to penalize and strictly handle contractors when they violate the contract, do not closely supervise, leading to poor quality of the project. Strictly control the mobilization of personnel of the supervision consultancy with the bidding documents/proposal documents. Fully exercise the authority and responsibility according to the contract and the provisions of the law, take full responsibility before the law and the investor for the assigned work.

Control testing work (ensure the laboratory meets standards, the laboratory staff is qualified to perform the work, the test results are accurate, objective and transparent); regularly check and urge contractors to comply with the terms of the signed contract. Closely monitor the quality and origin of materials and equipment used for the project, ensuring that they meet the requirements of the design documents and technical instructions of the project.

Check and review some highway projects with higher-than-normal road levels, increasing the demand for embankment materials; carefully consider flood drainage conditions and water flow compatibility; study options for building viaducts, lowering road levels, and replacing residential tunnels with highway overpasses right from the project establishment to have options for using construction materials and construction sites.

Strictly manage costs, construction standards, and investment rates.

The Prime Minister also requested the Ministry of Construction to preside over and coordinate with the Ministry of Transport and relevant agencies to issue or propose competent authorities to issue regulations to strictly manage costs, construction norms, and investment rates suitable for each region; guide and inspect localities to publish prices of common construction materials and price indexes in full, suitable to actual conditions, and in accordance with legal regulations.

Review the norms and costs of design consultancy, appraisal consultancy, project management, etc. to ensure accuracy and sufficiency in order to mobilize and attract high-quality human resources in the specific conditions of the transport sector. Study the cost norms for design work according to project items, regardless of construction costs and total investment, to avoid consultants choosing design solutions with high investment costs, increasing the total investment, not ensuring economic and technical feasibility.

Strengthen inspection, examination and supervision of the granting of construction capacity certificates, practice certificates, construction operation licenses (for foreign contractors)... of domestic and foreign consulting organizations and individuals under the state management of the Ministry of Construction.

Strictly handle the situation of "hoarding goods" and collusion between material mine owners to raise prices.

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment shall strengthen guidance, inspection and supervision of the issuance of land prices by localities every year, ensuring compliance with the land price framework issued by the Government and the compensation price when the State reclaims land. Promptly guide and resolve difficulties and problems in compensation, support and resettlement; procedures related to the exploitation of minerals for common construction materials and waste disposal sites, ensuring that contractors can immediately exploit construction materials for construction.

The People's Committees of relevant provinces and centrally run cities shall promptly announce prices of common construction materials, price indexes, etc. according to their authority and legal regulations; based on the land price framework issued by the Government, organize the development and promulgation of land price lists and adjusted land price lists suitable for each locality. Strictly inspect and control construction material prices, price indexes, and land prices; direct affiliated units to regularly monitor and closely follow market developments to promptly update and announce construction material prices and price indexes to ensure completeness and suitability with reality. Coordinate with relevant ministries and branches to inspect and review site clearance costs and limit capital increases during project implementation.

At the same time, strictly implement the Government's direction to assign mineral mines for common construction materials to construction contractors; do not allow the assignment of mines to the wrong subjects, leading to the activity of "buying and reselling" to increase material prices; proactively review the mines that have been granted, take timely measures to handle mines that are not granted in accordance with regulations; strictly handle according to the provisions of law the situation of "hoarding goods", collusion (between owners of material mines) to increase prices, affecting project construction. Direct the inspection, control, and strict management of construction material prices according to regulations.

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