Submit to the National Assembly for consideration of applying a special mechanism to implement the Ka Pet Reservoir Project

BTO-This afternoon, May 22, at the National Assembly House, continuing the 5th Session, the National Assembly listened to Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung present the Report on adjusting the investment policy of the Ka Pet Reservoir Project, Ham Thuan Nam District, Binh Thuan Province.

Permanent Vice Chairman of the National Assembly Tran Thanh Man chaired the meeting.

Presenting the report, Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung said: The Ka Pet reservoir project in Ham Thuan Nam district, Binh Thuan province was approved by the National Assembly in its investment policy in Resolution No. 93 dated November 26, 2019 to provide irrigation water for agricultural production; supply raw water for industrial zones and people's daily life; prevent and control floods and improve the environment, regulate water for the downstream area of Ham Thuan Nam and Binh Thuan province.

After the National Assembly issued Resolution No. 93, the Prime Minister issued Document No. 541 assigning the People's Committee of Binh Thuan province to be the investor and implement the project. On that basis, the People's Committee of Binh Thuan province assigned the Management Board of Investment Projects for Construction of Agricultural and Rural Development Works of Binh Thuan province to complete the dossier, outline, survey tasks, and establish the project investment project for construction. The investigation and assessment of the current forest status was completed in December 2020, and the results of the forest status inspection were updated in April 2022.

The Minister of Planning and Investment said that the project is a national important criterion, the main construction item is a gravity concrete dam 163.4 m long, the largest height H = 28.5 m, the reservoir capacity is about 51.21 million m3, a level II project. In the past, Binh Thuan province has had a lot of experience implementing irrigation reservoir projects of similar or larger scale (Dinh 3 River Reservoir Project, Ham Tan District; Mong River Reservoir Project, Ham Thuan Nam District).

Therefore, to facilitate the process of project approval and implementation, the Government proposes that the National Assembly allow the People's Committee of Binh Thuan province to organize the preparation, appraisal and approval of project investment decisions similar to group A projects according to the provisions of the law on public investment.

In order to soon put the project into implementation, meet the investment needs, and promote disbursement, the Government submitted to the National Assembly an adjustment to the investment policy of the Ka Pet Reservoir Project in Ham Thuan Nam District, Binh Thuan Province; allowing the extension of the implementation period and disbursement of the central budget reserve fund in 2016 until December 31, 2023; assigning the Chairman of the People's Committee of Binh Thuan Province to approve the project. The order, procedures, authority to appraise and decide on project investment are implemented similarly to those for Group A projects according to the provisions of the law on public investment.

*Chairman of the Committee on Science, Technology and Environment Le Quang Huy presented the Verification Report.*

*Also this afternoon, the National Assembly listened to Chairman of the Committee on Science, Technology and Environment Le Quang Huy present the Verification Report on adjusting the investment policy of the Ka Pet Reservoir Project.

According to Chairman of the Committee for Science, Technology and Environment Le Quang Huy, adjusting the total investment of the project as stated in the Government's Submission and the Project dossier is necessary. In addition, the majority of opinions of the members of the Committee for Science, Technology and Environment and a number of agencies of the National Assembly agreed with the content of the Government's Submission, requesting the National Assembly to consider allowing the application of a special mechanism, assigning the People's Committee of Binh Thuan province to decide on investment, organize implementation according to the order, procedures, and authority to implement group A projects managed by the provincial level according to the law on public investment so that the project can be completed soon.

Explaining this proposal, Chairman of the Committee for Science, Technology and Environment Le Quang Huy stated that, in terms of scale and complexity, the project is only equivalent to Group B, a level II project item, Binh Thuan province has a lot of experience in approving and implementing projects of similar or larger scale. On the other hand, Binh Thuan is a South Central province that is always arid and lacks water, so the province is determined to complete the project soon, demonstrated by including the project in the List of key projects of the province in the period of 2021-2025; limiting spending, focusing most of the medium-term reserve fund for 2021-2025 to invest in this project. The project is allocated capital from the central budget for the period of 2021-2025, which has been assigned by the National Assembly and the Prime Minister as a medium-term public investment plan. The province also allocates the local budget reserve fund for the period of 2021-2026 for this project. Therefore, without a specific mechanism, the project cannot be completed in 2025, leading to difficulties in allocating capital in the next phase...

According to the session agenda, the National Assembly will discuss this content in groups on the morning of May 25 and discuss it in plenary in the hall on the morning of May 30.

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