Prime Minister requests to speed up disbursement of public investment capital

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has just signed an official dispatch requesting ministries, branches and localities to speed up the disbursement of public investment capital in the last months of 2023.

Metro Line 1 seen from above. Illustration photo: Hoang Hai/VNA

The dispatch stated: Under the leadership of the Party, the accompaniment of the National Assembly , the drastic and close direction of the Government and the Prime Minister, together with the efforts and determination of all levels and sectors, the disbursement of public investment capital in 2023 has achieved quite positive results, the disbursement rate of the public investment capital plan for 7 months is estimated at 37.85% of the plan assigned by the Prime Minister, higher than the same period in 2022 (34.47%). In addition to ministries, agencies and localities with disbursement rates above the national average, many ministries, agencies and localities have very low disbursement rates, most likely unable to disburse all the capital assigned from the beginning of the year.

In the remaining months of 2023, the world situation is forecast to continue to develop in a complicated and unpredictable manner, significantly affecting our country's economy in many areas. In order to contribute to stabilizing the macro-economy, promoting growth, ensuring major balances of the economy, and implementing the socio-economic development goals for 2023 assigned by the Central Executive Committee and the National Assembly, all levels and sectors need to resolutely direct and remove difficulties and obstacles for projects to further promote the disbursement of public investment capital, striving to disburse public investment capital from the state budget in 2023 to reach over 95% of the plan assigned by the Prime Minister.

To achieve the above goals, the Prime Minister requests Ministers, Heads of ministerial-level agencies, Government agencies, other central agencies, Chairmen of People's Committees of provinces and centrally run cities, and requests the Secretaries of Provincial Party Committees, City Party Committees, Chairmen of People's Councils, Heads of National Assembly Delegations of provinces and centrally run cities to promote responsibility, focus on directing, leading, and implementing more drastically, synchronously, promptly, and effectively the following key tasks and solutions:

Ministers, Heads of ministerial-level agencies, Government agencies, other central agencies, Chairmen of People's Committees of provinces and centrally run cities are fully responsible to the Prime Minister for directing the synchronous and effective implementation of tasks and solutions set out in the Resolutions of the Government's regular meetings, Resolution No. 105/NQ-CP of the Government on tasks and solutions to remove difficulties for production and business, continue to promote administrative procedure reform, tighten discipline and order; Directive No. 08/CT-TTg of the Prime Minister on key tasks and solutions to promote the allocation and disbursement of public investment capital, 3 National Target Programs in 2023, and implementation of the socio-economic recovery and development program.

Ministries, central and local agencies: Step up the allocation, implementation and disbursement of public investment capital, capital sources for the Socio-Economic Recovery and Development Program, three National Target Programs; speed up the implementation of key and important national public investment projects, highways, key and inter-regional projects, projects with spillover effects, etc.; identify this as one of the key political tasks, focusing on priority in direction and administration, associated with the responsibilities of heads of ministries, central and local agencies.

Resolutely and proactively handle and resolve obstacles and difficulties promptly and effectively according to assigned functions and tasks; implement a mechanism for assigning tasks, assigning responsibilities, and coordinating clearly and specifically on authority and responsibility among agencies and units in completing project investment procedures. Continue to promote and improve the effectiveness of the special working group headed by the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee.

Strengthening discipline and order in disbursing public investment capital; focusing on accelerating site clearance and construction progress, removing difficulties and obstacles related to land and resources, etc.; having strict sanctions against investors, project management boards, organizations and individuals who intentionally cause difficulties, hinder and delay the progress of capital allocation, implementation and disbursement of public investment capital. Timely replacing cadres, civil servants and public employees who are weak in capacity, slow, causing harassment and trouble, resolutely handling negative and corrupt behaviors in public investment management. Conducting inspections, checks and strictly handling the situation of assigning mines to the wrong subjects, leading to the buying and selling of materials, increasing the price of materials.

Ministries, central and local agencies shall develop detailed disbursement plans for each project and strictly comply with the disbursement plans for each month and quarter. Strengthen field inspection and supervision, urge contractors and consultants to speed up progress. Assign specific leaders responsible for monitoring the implementation progress; closely follow up, promptly remove difficulties and take responsibility for the disbursement results of each project, considering this an important basis when evaluating and classifying the level of completion of assigned tasks in 2023 of collectives and individuals (the Government will have statistics to send to Party committees and authorities at all levels at the end of the year).

Localities focus on removing difficulties related to licensing of mines, exploitation of raw materials such as stone, sand, and soil to serve projects; announce prices of common construction materials in the area according to authority and regulations of law; regularly inspect, review, and strictly manage construction material prices; direct affiliated agencies and units to regularly monitor and closely follow developments in the construction market to promptly update and announce construction material prices according to regulations of law; strictly handle the situation of creating fake scarcity, collusion between material mine owners to raise prices, exploit and supply in violation of regulations, affecting the construction of projects.

Make advances, recover advances, accept and pay investment capital in accordance with regulations and as soon as there is volume; proactively review and transfer capital according to authority between slow-disbursement projects to projects with better disbursement capacity and in need of additional capital for implementation in accordance with regulations.

The Ministry of Planning and Investment shall coordinate with the Ministry of Finance to closely monitor the disbursement progress of ministries, central agencies and localities, promptly report to the Prime Minister every month to issue flexible management solutions, close to the practical situation to complete the target of disbursing public investment capital in 2023; at the same time, announce on the mass media the monthly disbursement results of ministries, branches and localities. Urge and guide relevant ministries, agencies and localities to urgently develop, appraise and complete plans according to the provisions of the Law on Planning. Synthesize and report to competent authorities to adjust the central budget investment plan for 2023 from ministries, central agencies and localities with slow disbursement to ministries, central agencies and localities in need of additional capital.

The Ministry of Finance directs the State Treasury to promptly make payments for completed volumes, promote payments via the State Treasury's online public services to save time and travel expenses for investors, and publicize and make transparent the process of handling documents at the payment control agency; directs functional units to ensure payment sources for projects; coordinates with sponsors, relevant agencies and units to promptly handle problems related to payment, settlement, negotiation, signing of agreements, and withdrawal of capital from sponsors. Closely and promptly coordinates with the Ministry of Planning and Investment in reviewing, synthesizing, assigning, and transferring the state budget investment plan for 2023; ensuring the correct time according to the Government's Working Regulations.

The Ministry of Finance coordinates with the following agencies: Vietnam Television, Voice of Vietnam, Vietnam News Agency, and the Government Electronic Information Portal to monthly publicize the disbursement situation of ministries, central and local agencies on mass media.

The Ministry of Construction promptly guides, inspects, and urges localities to regularly update, adjust, and publish prices and price indexes of construction materials, monthly construction price indexes in accordance with market price developments; promulgate regulations on the use of new alternative materials for projects and construction works in accordance with the law. Take the lead and coordinate with relevant agencies to closely monitor the situation and developments of the construction materials market, especially key materials, promptly propose and report to the Prime Minister solutions to remove difficulties and obstacles in ensuring supply and demand, and controlling construction material prices. Resolutely handle regulations on fire prevention and fighting before August 25, 2023.

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment continues to urgently guide and remove difficulties, obstacles, and procedures related to the licensing process for mining and exploitation of raw materials such as stone, sand, soil, and gravel for public investment projects, ensuring speed, efficiency, and compliance with legal regulations. Closely coordinate with the Ministry of Finance to promptly resolve difficulties in land valuation, land use fee collection, and site clearance compensation for public investment projects.

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment shall advise on and complete mechanisms, policies and laws on land, especially the Land Law (amended); provide guidance on the immediate removal of difficulties and legal obstacles and procedures related to land, mining of construction materials to serve the implementation of socio-economic development projects and key transport projects. Urgently submit to the Government a draft Decree amending and supplementing Decree No. 44/2014/ND-CP of the Government under the direction of the Government leaders in Notice No. 327/TB-VPCP dated August 14, 2023; at the same time, amend Circular No. 36/2014/TT-BTNMT in August 2023 under the direction in Official Dispatch No. 634/CD-TTg dated July 10, 2023.

Ministries and agencies in charge of national target programs (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs, Ethnic Minorities Committee) urgently review difficulties, obstacles and recommendations of ministries, branches and localities during the working process of the National Assembly's Supreme Supervision Delegation and the Working Delegation of Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang, Head of the National Steering Committee for National Target Programs, deploy solutions to remove obstacles, guide localities in implementation, proactively amend, supplement and perfect regulations according to their authority, propose competent authorities to amend and supplement regulations in the direction of creating conditions for quick and effective implementation of the contents of the three national target programs, promoting the disbursement progress of the programs.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade closely monitors the situation, controls and takes timely measures according to regulations to ensure supply and stabilize prices of raw materials, fuels and input materials, especially gasoline, oil, iron and steel, construction materials and electricity supply.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development proactively guides and coordinates with localities to promptly remove obstacles in converting forest land use purposes to ensure project implementation progress according to regulations.

The Prime Minister's Working Groups established under Decision No. 235/QD-TTg dated March 14, 2023 will continue to improve operational efficiency, proactively strengthen inspection and supervision, promptly remove difficulties and obstacles, and promote disbursement of public investment capital in the remaining months of 2023.

The Government Office monitors and urges the implementation of this Official Dispatch and reports to the Prime Minister according to its assigned functions, tasks and authorities.

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