Presenting specific mechanisms and policies for the North-South high-speed railway project

On the afternoon of December 8, National Assembly deputies listened to Minister of Construction Tran Hong Minh, authorized by the Prime Minister, present a report on a number of specific mechanisms and policies applicable to the high-speed railway project on the North-South axis (project).

Minister of Construction Tran Hong Minh presents the report. Photo: QUANG PHUC

Accordingly, first, the Government submitted to the National Assembly and the National Assembly Standing Committee to include in the joint resolution of the 10th session of the 15th National Assembly a supplementary policy: separating the content of compensation, support, resettlement and relocation of power works with voltage of 110 kV or higher of the project into independent projects, with capital allocated from the central and local budgets.

Localities and Vietnam Electricity Group are the competent authorities to organize, decide on investment, and implement compensation, support, and resettlement projects in the area. Investment in items related to this content does not require investment policy preparation.

The central budget capital is directly allocated to localities and Vietnam Electricity Group for implementation. In case of not being able to arrange in time, localities will proactively balance the local budget for implementation, the central budget will reimburse after balancing the capital.

Second, during the period when the National Assembly is not in session, the National Assembly authorizes the National Assembly Standing Committee to consider and decide on additional and adjusted mechanisms and specific policies for investment methods (if any) to promptly implement projects and report to the National Assembly at the nearest session.

Chairman of the National Assembly's Economic and Financial Committee Phan Van Mai presents a report examining the content of the proposal. Photo: QUANG PHUC

According to the report examining the content of the proposal, adding mechanisms and policies for the project is necessary, in line with the Party's policy on mobilizing social resources for strategic projects, unleashing private resources for key infrastructure, innovating methods and diversifying investment forms, and strengthening decentralization and delegation of authority associated with responsibility.

However, some opinions said that the proposed policies in the submission were not clear and did not address the urgent needs of the project; it was suggested that the competent authority should be considered and given the policy for the proposed additional specific mechanisms and policies applicable to the project.

There are suggestions to study and apply the provisions of Resolution No. 206/2025/QH15 of the National Assembly on special mechanisms for handling difficulties and obstacles due to legal provisions, to promptly handle specific difficulties and obstacles of laws in project implementation.

The National Assembly's Economic and Financial Committee noted that the National Assembly's permission to separate the land acquisition, compensation, support, and resettlement contents of the project into component projects has a precedent in Resolution No. 38/2017/QH14 regarding the Long Thanh International Airport project.

Therefore, the first proposal of the Government is well-founded. However, the committee recommends clarifying the concept of “independent project”; clearly defining the total investment, the area of ​​land to be recovered, the completion time of independent projects and the synchronization and unity of the entire project; ensuring that there is no difficulty or waste of resources when the route, scope, and implementation boundaries have not been determined and the total investment of the project is strictly controlled.

Regarding the second proposal, in the Resolution of the 9th session of the 15th National Assembly, the National Assembly approved the addition of investment forms under the Investment Law in the form of public-private partnership and business investment under the Investment Law for projects, in addition to the form of public investment; assigning the Government to organize the selection of investment forms and investors; in case there are other mechanisms and policies beyond the authority of the Government, it shall report to the National Assembly for consideration and decision. Therefore, this proposal is unnecessary.

According to the review agency, if the proposed policy is approved by the National Assembly, it is appropriate to stipulate additional policies applicable to the project in the joint resolution of the 10th session of the 15th National Assembly.

PHAN THAO

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/trinh-co-che-chinh-sach-dac-thu-du-an-duong-sat-toc-do-cao-bac-nam-post827518.html