Removing the "bottleneck" and unlocking the flow of public investment capital.

Disbursing public investment capital is a crucial driving force for socio-economic development, but the progress in this area in Can Tho City has not met expectations. In light of this situation, the city is resolutely reviewing and implementing comprehensive solutions to remove bottlenecks, accelerate disbursement, and put capital into practice.

Identifying the "bottlenecks"

According to the Can Tho City Department of Finance, the total state budget capital for 2026 allocated to the city by the Prime Minister is over 19,266 billion VND. As of May 22nd, the city had allocated over 16,581 billion VND in detail. The remaining capital not yet allocated in detail is nearly 2,685 billion VND. The city has disbursed over 2,557 billion VND of public investment capital, reaching 13.27% of the planned capital, lower than the national average (16.4%). Regarding the 2025 capital plan, which was extended to 2026, totaling 3,401 billion VND, the city has disbursed 239.43 billion VND, reaching 7.04%.

Construction is underway on intersection No. 4 at the 3 Tháng 2 Street intersection in Can Tho City.

Notably, there are still 52 investors and 2 projects that have not disbursed funds, with a total planned capital of nearly 1,629 billion VND. The city has 54 nationally important, key, and inter-regional projects, with a total allocated capital of nearly 10,853 billion VND. These projects account for 56.33% of the planned capital, but disbursement has only reached over 1,427 billion VND (equivalent to 13.15%). Progress at key projects is low, for example, component projects 3 and 4 of the Chau Doc - Can Tho - Soc Trang expressway, phase 1, have reached 9.2% and 8.66% respectively; the investment project to build the Can Tho City Oncology Hospital has reached 1.87%...

Land clearance not only creates clean land for construction but is also a decisive factor in accelerating the disbursement rate; however, this is currently the biggest "bottleneck". Mr. Nguyen Trung Hau, Deputy Director of the Project Management Board for Investment in Construction of Transportation and Agriculture Projects in Can Tho City, said: The Board has been allocated more than 6,678 billion VND for 39 projects but has only disbursed about 14.6%. The biggest difficulty currently is land clearance due to people not agreeing on compensation rates, lack of resettlement land, lack of specific land prices, and slow relocation of technical infrastructure. In addition, fluctuating increases in construction material prices are also putting financial pressure on contractors.

Similarly, Mr. Nguyen Van Ca Lo Anh, Director of the Can Tho Civil and Industrial Construction Investment Project Management Board, said that the unit was allocated over 1,668 billion VND, but the disbursement rate is currently only about 15.6%. The Board is implementing 17 projects in 2026, of which 7 projects are facing land clearance issues with a capital of over 800 billion VND.

Furthermore, the slow disbursement progress is also due to the fact that most investors prioritize settling their 2025 budgets. 2026 is the first year of the 2026-2030 medium-term period, so many new projects at the commune level are still in the process of completing procedures. On the other hand, many investors lack decisiveness in management; contractors have weak capabilities, lacking manpower and equipment, etc.

Implement multiple solutions simultaneously.

Explaining the delays in compensation, support, and resettlement, the Can Tho City Land Development Center stated that although most of the work has been decentralized to the local level, the complex professional procedures and limited capacity at the grassroots level have led to many difficulties in implementation. To overcome this bottleneck, the Center proposed that the Standing Committee of the City People's Committee consider establishing an inter-agency task force. This task force would directly go to the grassroots level to provide support and be given the authority to immediately handle complex problems, helping localities to confidently carry out their tasks. They would only report to and seek approval from the city in cases that are exceptionally difficult or beyond their authority.

Mr. Vo Nhut Quang, Deputy Director of the Can Tho City Department of Finance, proposed that all levels and sectors continue to prioritize the disbursement of public investment capital as a key political task, linked to the responsibility of the head of each agency. The immediate focus should be on accelerating land clearance in areas that meet the necessary conditions and speeding up projects with large capital allocations, resolutely overcoming the situation of "projects waiting for land clearance" or "capital waiting for projects". Simultaneously, investors should urgently complete procedures to be eligible for the final allocation of remaining capital by June 2026. Furthermore, it is necessary to strengthen inspection, supervision, and decisive direction, especially for key projects and transitional projects that are experiencing prolonged delays.

To accelerate the disbursement of public investment capital, the People's Committee of Can Tho City has recently requested agencies and units to urgently implement comprehensive solutions. Simultaneously, a campaign has been launched to expedite land clearance and the disbursement of public investment capital in 2026. Mr. Truong Canh Tuyen, Chairman of the People's Committee of Can Tho City, stated: The city has decentralized authority to the commune level regarding land matters, the approval of compensation, support, resettlement, and land acquisition plans… In addition, the Department of Agriculture and Environment has been tasked with advising the People's Committee on issuing supplementary support policies that comply with legal regulations and fall within the authority of the People's Committee. Regarding issues related to price adjustments, investors are encouraged to proactively review and propose solutions for the city to promptly consider and provide support. In the coming period, the city will work directly with each investor holding large allocated capital to understand the specific situation and resolve difficulties. This will accelerate the disbursement of public investment funds and ensure that projects are completed according to their set objectives.

Text and photos: T. TRINH

Source: https://baocantho.com.vn/thao-go-nut-that-khoi-thong-dong-von-dau-tu-cong-a206260.html