Ho Chi Minh City removes bottlenecks in disbursing public investment capital

With the goal of disbursing 100% of public investment capital this year, the Prime Minister has continued to issue official dispatches urging local ministries and branches to implement many key tasks and solutions. In particular, it is necessary to promptly handle or report to competent authorities to immediately handle difficulties and problems related to public investment, including the transfer of project investor tasks and transitional projects when implementing the 2-level government model.

As in Ho Chi Minh City, over the past 2 months, the disbursement of public investment has been slower than required. Up to now, it has not reached 50% of the plan assigned this year. One of the reasons identified by the city is the confusion in implementing the process of transferring public investment projects when implementing the 2-level local government model. This reality requires the city to urgently promote the completion of the process, remove obstacles to soon release public capital in the peak period at the end of the year.

The intersection of the key Binh Tien bridge and road project of Phu Dinh ward, Ho Chi Minh City needs to have its planning adjusted so that the construction project can be approved. However, this local planning adjustment has not been completed yet. The reason is that the unit implementing the planning adjustment is the Project Management Board, which used to belong to the district, but has now been transferred to the Department of Construction. The authority to adjust the planning is now assigned to the ward, but the ward is confused about its legal status when implementing it.

Mr. Vo Doan Thu - Head of Urban Infrastructure Economic Department of Phu Dinh Ward, Ho Chi Minh City said: "The ward has proactively signed a contract with the project management consulting unit to properly implement the public investment process for local adjustments. In the coming time, by the end of October, this local adjustment will be resolved."

The milestones defining the land clearance area are available, but the project approval process has not yet been completed. Recently, a number of large projects in Ho Chi Minh City have encountered this situation due to problems related to the adjustment of local planning according to the new process at the ward and commune levels of the 2-level local government model.

For more than two months now, the authorities of some wards and communes have also encountered difficulties in establishing local compensation and site clearance councils, making estimates to approve new construction procedures... This is part of the reason why the rate of public capital disbursement in Ho Chi Minh City has so far only reached over 45%.

City leaders requested to urgently complete the two-level government model, with special attention to site clearance work.

Mr. Nguyen Van Duoc - Chairman of Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee emphasized: "Wards and communes need to pay special attention to site clearance, especially for key projects of the city. Propose public investment projects for 2026 and the next term. Select key projects that have the potential to make a breakthrough for the city's economy in the coming time."

Experts say that in addition to departments and branches strengthening support work at the ward and commune levels, each local official and civil servant must also be proactive and flexible to promote project progress.

"The most important thing of the new apparatus is that we must build public service ethics. That means civil servants at all levels must clearly know their jobs and functions," said Dr. Tran Du Lich - Chairman of the Advisory Council for implementing the special development mechanism of Ho Chi Minh City.

By the end of this year, at least four major transport projects with large capital amounts are expected to start construction in Ho Chi Minh City, with the expectation of improving the disbursement situation in the fourth quarter. Resources are available, but the sufficient condition is to smoothly operate the public investment process according to the 2-level local government model, and promptly hand over the site for the projects.

Source: https://vtv.vn/tp-ho-chi-minh-go-nut-that-giai-ngan-von-dau-tu-cong-100250923063618143.htm