Questioning 2 Ministers, delegates hope Bac Giang litchi will improve

On the morning of June 7, during the question-and-answer session between Minister of Science and Technology Huynh Thanh Dat and Minister of Transport Nguyen Van Thang, the issue of irradiation and the transportation route for Bac Giang lychees was of interest to delegates.

Questioning Minister of Science and Technology Huynh Thanh Dat, delegate Nguyen Van Thi (Bac Giang delegation) said that irradiation is a mandatory requirement when exporting agricultural products to markets of some countries, including the United States.

“In recent years, lychees from Bac Giang province have had to be brought to Ho Chi Minh City for irradiation, causing prices to increase,” said delegate Nguyen Van Thi.

Delegate Nguyen Van Thi questioned the issue of irradiation for Bac Giang lychee.

Therefore, the delegate asked the Minister of Science and Technology to let him know what solutions the Ministry has for irradiating lychee as well as many other fruits in the Northern region, to meet technical requirements when exporting to the markets of some countries in the near future.

Answering the above question, Minister Huynh Thanh Dat admitted that the previous irradiation of lychees had to be brought all the way to Ho Chi Minh City and Long An, so the cost increased a lot.

Recently, the Ministry of Science and Technology has closely coordinated with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Ministry of Industry and Trade to negotiate with the US, which has been successful and has begun irradiating lychees in the North.

“This work will be difficult without coordination between the three ministries. From now until the end of the year, lychees will definitely be irradiated according to the American process,” said Mr. Huynh Thanh Dat.

Minister of Science and Technology Huynh Thanh Dat answered delegates about the issue of lychee irradiation.

On the same afternoon, questioning Minister of Transport Nguyen Van Thang, delegates Tran Van Lam and Ta Van Ha were concerned about the construction of bridges and roads in Bac Giang province to transport fabric and develop the economy and society.

Regarding the Cam Ly Bridge (Luc Nam, Bac Giang), the Minister of Transport said that this is the only bridge that is currently sharing a railway and a road. The Ministry of Transport finds that upgrading and expanding this bridge is very reasonable, because the traffic volume across this bridge is very high, and the potential risk of accidents is also high. However, the transport sector is facing difficulties in allocating capital for construction.

“In cases of real urgency, where immediate implementation is needed, the province will proactively balance the capital source. If it is too urgent and the province has the resources, and the price of lychees is expensive this time, Bac Giang can allocate part of the budget to do it. In case there is no more, the Ministry of Transport will coordinate with the Ministry of Planning and Investment to advise the Prime Minister to solve this problem in Bac Giang,” said the Minister of Transport.

Minister of Transport Nguyen Van Thang answered delegates about the bridge construction in Bac Giang.

Delegate Ta Van Ha hopes that thanks to the statement of the Minister of Transport, Bac Giang lychee will improve.

Debate with the Minister of Transport, delegate Ta Van Ha said that Cam Ly Bridge is the only bridge connecting Lang Son, Bac Giang, Hai Duong, and Quang Ninh. Given the importance of the only bridge in Vietnam where both road and railway run parallel, Mr. Ha requested the Ministry of Transport to find an immediate solution.

“I would like to ask the Minister, what procedures are Bac Giang still missing, who do we need to meet to invest in that bridge? Because we are waiting to sell the fabric, we have been calling on the National Assembly for more than ten years without success. Therefore, I also hope that thanks to the Minister’s speech today, Bac Giang’s fabric will be better,” said delegate Ta Van Ha.

Responding later, Mr. Thang told Cam Ly Bridge to continue to record the delegates' opinions. "Actually, the first problem to report to the delegates is where the money is. The most difficult thing for the Ministry is not having money. Because the list was clearly assigned at the beginning of the period, but now we have to wait to see if any source appears. I hope the National Assembly Chairman and the Prime Minister will continue to pay attention to Bac Giang, so that this problem can be resolved," Mr. Thang stated.

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