Strict action will be taken against those who inflate the prices of construction materials for transportation projects in Ninh Binh.

The Ninh Binh Provincial People's Committee assigns the Department of Construction to take the lead and coordinate with relevant departments and agencies, the Provincial Project Management Boards, and the People's Committees of districts and cities to promptly publish construction price indices, construction material prices (quarterly or earlier if necessary), and construction labor unit prices (annually or earlier if necessary), ensuring they are complete, consistent with market prices, and in accordance with legal regulations; and to proactively advise the Provincial People's Committee to coordinate with the Ministry of Construction to issue specific local norms for new construction technologies, construction conditions, and construction materials that are not included in current norms.

At the same time, the Department of Transport, in coordination with the Department of Natural Resources and Environment, the Department of Transport, the People's Committees of districts and cities, and other relevant units, will continue to review mineral mines used for leveling materials in the province, proactively coordinate with neighboring localities to plan and license mineral mines for leveling materials to ensure sufficient materials according to schedule for the construction needs of key and priority transportation projects in the province.

In addition, provincial project management boards, project investors, and relevant units should carefully review and evaluate construction material survey documents; ensuring sufficient supply, extraction capacity, and quality of materials in accordance with regulations for the project.

The Departments of Natural Resources and Environment, the Department of Construction, and the People's Committees of districts and cities shall closely coordinate with investors and contractors to negotiate with landowners on land transfer and lease prices, ensuring they are consistent with the compensation rates stipulated by the State, and preventing speculation, price gouging, and price manipulation. Sanctions shall be in place to handle cases of deliberate price gouging, price manipulation, and land speculation in mining areas; and obstacles related to reforestation, conversion of forest land use, and conversion of forest land and rice land use shall be resolved.

Currently, Ninh Binh province has 14 licensed quarries for earth and stone used as leveling materials, with a total remaining exploitable reserve of approximately 39.1 million m3, and a total annual exploitation capacity of about 3.39 million m3. These quarries are scattered across Nho Quan and Yen Mo districts and Tam Diep city.

Meanwhile, two expressway projects in Ninh Binh province, namely the Ninh Binh - Hai Phong expressway project (the section passing through Ninh Binh province) and the expansion project of the North-South expressway (Eastern section, Cao Bo - Mai Son), are proposed to be funded from the increased central government budget revenue in 2022, with disbursement allowed until the end of 2025 (approximately 2 years).

The current operating capacity of the mines is insufficient to meet the volume and schedule of material supply required by the aforementioned highway projects.

Therefore, the Ninh Binh Provincial People's Committee has sent a document to the Ministry of Planning and Investment to compile a report for the Prime Minister's consideration and submission to the National Assembly to apply a special mechanism in the exploitation of mineral resources for common construction materials.

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