National Assembly delegates "give advice" to successfully complete the project

To maximize the effectiveness of the North-South high-speed railway project, according to the National Assembly Delegate, in addition to specific mechanisms, attention should be paid to technology and human resources issues...

It is necessary to apply specific mechanisms and policies.

Examining the investment policy of the North-South high-speed railway project at the 8th Session of the 15th National Assembly, Chairman of the Economic Committee Vu Hong Thanh said that the project plays an important role, has a long-term strategic nature, has a deep and wide impact on all aspects of the country's socio-economic development, and is very large in scale, requires complex technical technology, and is being implemented for the first time in Vietnam.

Chairman of the Economic Committee Vu Hong Thanh presented the Report on the appraisal of the investment policy of the North-South high-speed railway project (Photo: QH)

"Therefore, to ensure the feasibility and effectiveness of the Project, it is necessary to allow the application of some specific and special mechanisms and policies," Mr. Vu Hong Thanh emphasized.

According to Mr. Vu Hong Thanh, the Government proposed 19 groups of special and specific mechanisms and policies that are different from current legal regulations, so it is recommended to supplement a more complete and thorough impact assessment to have appropriate solutions to limit and overcome negative impacts and report and seek opinions from competent authorities on the content of special and specific mechanisms and policies.

Basically, the proposed mechanisms and policies are necessary, some of which have been approved by the National Assembly in the past. However, it is recommended to continue reviewing and adjusting the mechanisms and policies to ensure suitability and effectiveness.

Specifically, the development of a medium-term public investment plan for each period is carried out in accordance with the provisions of the Law on Public Investment. Therefore, the determination of the capital allocation level for each medium-term period of the project needs to be calculated, clearly defined and included in the overall medium-term public investment plan as well as in the national 5-year financial plan and the public borrowing and debt repayment plan for each period.

Therefore, some opinions suggest that the medium-term capital arrangement of the project and the adjustment of the medium-term public investment plan should be submitted to the National Assembly for consideration and decision. Regarding the adjustment of the annual public investment plan, the Economic Committee believes that there should be a specific policy assigning the Prime Minister to decide on the adjustment of the annual central budget capital plan between ministries, central agencies and localities to allocate capital for the project.

Besides, according to the provisions of the Law on Public Investment, determining capital sources and capital balancing capacity is one of the important conditions in the process of appraising and deciding on investment policy for a public investment project.

The project is expected to use a very large amount of capital, so it needs to be carefully and cautiously considered to ensure the balance of the country's common resources as well as to ensure the feasibility of capital sources for project implementation, while ensuring compliance with the provisions of Clause 7, Article 8 of Regulation No. 189-QD/TW of the Politburo.

Therefore, some opinions suggest implementing according to the provisions of the Law on Public Investment on the content of capital appraisal and capital balancing ability. In case the Government reports more clearly, specifically, and with high feasibility on the above mentioned issues and is permitted by competent authorities, it can be considered and decided upon with the consensus of the National Assembly.

In addition, due to the scale and complexity of the project, adjusting the investment policy and adding specific and special mechanisms and policies may have a major impact, so it needs to be considered and decided by the National Assembly. However, to ensure the urgency of the project, it is proposed that the National Assembly consider authorizing the National Assembly Standing Committee to consider and decide on matters within the authority of the National Assembly, during the time the National Assembly is not in session, and report to the National Assembly at the nearest session.

According to Mr. Vu Hong Thanh, the total preliminary investment of the project is about 1,713,548 billion VND (about 67.34 billion USD). Compared to the total medium-term investment capital from the central budget, the preliminary total investment of the project exceeds (by 114%) the total medium-term public investment capital from the central budget for the period 2021 - 2025 and is equivalent to 59.7% of the total medium-term public investment capital from the state budget for the period 2021 - 2025. Therefore, it is necessary to study and consider carefully.

In particular, regarding the limit of 20% of the total capital of the previous medium-term public investment plan, according to the attached appendix, the total cost for the years from 2026 to 2030 is about 733,000 billion VND, equal to 25.5% of the total medium-term public investment capital from the state budget for the period 2021 - 2025 and equal to 49% of the total medium-term public investment capital from the central budget for the period 2021 - 2025. Accordingly, it does not ensure the provisions of the Law on Public Investment.

"This content needs to be reported to the National Assembly for consideration and careful discussion on the application of specific and special mechanisms and policies different from the provisions in Clause 2, Article 89 of the 2019 Law on Public Investment to ensure a legal basis during the implementation process; ensure compliance with current legal provisions, Regulation No. 189-QD/TW of the Politburo on controlling power, preventing and combating corruption and negativity in the management and use of public finance and assets" - Mr. Vu Hong Thanh clearly stated.

Delegate Ma Thi Thuy, National Assembly Delegation of Tuyen Quang province

Contributing opinions at the discussion session on the investment policy for the high-speed railway project on the North-South axis, delegate Ma Thi Thuy - Tuyen Quang delegation highly agreed with the investment policy for the high-speed railway project on the North-South axis. Building the North-South high-speed railway has long been the wish of voters and people, the project will have a great impact on the socio-economic development of the whole country.

To maximize the project's effectiveness, delegates suggested that the Government pay attention to assessing the impact on public debt safety indicators when simultaneously implementing other important national projects in the 2025-2035 period. At the same time, ensure capital sources and limit the situation of having to adjust policies many times like some important national projects.

"Regarding the specific and special policies proposed to be applied to the project, the high-speed railway is a key and strategic project, with the regulation of specific and special mechanisms and policies to implement the project being appropriate, contributing to speeding up progress and improving capital use efficiency" - delegate Ma Thi Thuy said.

However, delegates were concerned about the policy on exploiting minerals for common construction materials for projects, which stipulates that organizations and individuals exploiting minerals for projects do not have to carry out procedures for granting mining licenses; do not have to establish mineral exploitation investment projects and do not have to prepare environmental impact assessment reports.

According to the delegate, ignoring the mining licensing procedure will lead to a lack of legal basis to control the volume and scope of mining, which may lead to exploitation and gathering of materials for other purposes, affecting the planning and management of local mineral resources... In addition, the project assigns instructions without specific criteria and procedures on assessment methods, assessment content and inspection and monitoring methods, which may lead to inconsistency in implementation organization in each locality.

Delegate Nguyen Truc Anh from Hanoi delegation said that urban railways are very important. "I cannot imagine that in the next 30 years, any form of transport can replace urban railways, especially in cities with over 1 million people," said Mr. Truc Anh.

Therefore, we must localize. The Prime Minister or a Deputy Prime Minister must directly direct and closely attach his political life to this project to make it happen. In addition, special pilot mechanisms are needed for this project to be successful.

Delegate Duong Khac Mai - Dak Nong delegation stated that in reality, the implementation of urban railway projects in the past has encountered many difficulties, leading to increased capital and prolonged completion time. In fact, this problem often occurs in many public investment projects.

In addition, the project needs to use a large amount of cement, steel, and sand for a long time, while in the coming time, there will be many highway construction projects and construction works being implemented simultaneously. In fact, the implementation of important national projects in the past shows that, despite the application of specific policies on material mines, the supply of raw materials is still lacking, not meeting the construction progress of the projects.

From the above analysis, delegates suggested that the Government should carefully study and evaluate each specific and detailed issue to find effective solutions to overcome these shortcomings to ensure the project is completed according to the set plan.

The National Assembly listened to the Report and Examination Report on the investment policy of the high-speed railway project on the North-South axis.

Delegate Pham Trong Nghia - Lang Son delegation informed that the project has a large land use demand (about 10,827 ha), of which rice land is about 3,655 ha; forestry land is about 2,567 ha; other types of land according to the provisions of the land law are about 4,605 ​​ha. Therefore, the project will have significant impacts on the implementation of the National Land Use Plan, so it needs to be reviewed to ensure appropriate conversion, review and adjust land use indicators in planning at all levels to ensure consistency and synchronization in the national planning system.

Delegates also suggested adding a more thorough assessment of biological and ecological impacts when implementing the project; having alternative forest planting plans to ensure forest area according to the national forestry planning, paying attention to stable livelihoods for people working in forestry. In particular, some localities with the need to convert the use of large-scale protective forest land and production forest land need to review, assess impacts, report on land use planning adjustments, focus on measures to protect and restore forests, prevent natural disasters and respond to climate change.

The project directly impacts about 120,836 people, so it is recommended to pay more attention to assessing the social and cultural impacts, especially in areas with ethnic minorities living on agriculture and forestry. Therefore, it is necessary to study and have a plan to create jobs, change jobs, preserve the national cultural identity for affected people in a suitable, stable and long-term manner; pay attention to households with meritorious services to the revolution, ethnic minorities in difficult circumstances, poor households, near-poor households in implementing compensation, site clearance and resettlement.

Delegate Pham Trong Nghia - National Assembly Delegation of Lang Son province

Paying special attention to human resources, Mr. Pham Trong Nghia shared that the railway industry's human resources are divided into four main blocks: State management; investment in railway infrastructure construction; management, exploitation and operation; research and training. Therefore, careful and thorough preparation is needed to be ready to meet the construction, operation and exploitation of the high-speed railway system.

World experience shows that countries that both conduct their own research and development (Japan, France, Germany, Italy) and receive technology transfer and move towards mastery (China, South Korea, Spain) all build national human resource development programs very early to be ready for investment and development of high-speed railways.

"Special policies must be designed so that Vietnamese businesses and workers can participate as much as possible in the construction and operation of this project," Mr. Nghia noted.

Solving the technology "problem", improving localization

Agreeing with the project investment policy, delegate Nguyen Truong Giang - Dak Nong delegation said that the issue that needs special attention is the investment capital source to ensure feasibility. Therefore, the delegate suggested that the feasibility report should clarify this content.

Specifically, supplement analysis and clarify the total amount of medium-term public investment capital from the state budget in the next period; the ability of state budget resources to meet the demand; the capital allocation plan and the ability to balance state budget capital used for the project... "It is necessary to forecast and anticipate difficulties that may arise in order to provide timely and appropriate solutions during the implementation process" - the delegate said.

In addition, to successfully implement the project, many National Assembly deputies also suggested that it is necessary to pay attention to and attract domestic private investment, in order to help businesses have the opportunity to grow and develop, and to be able to directly receive technology transfer from abroad to localize to the maximum extent. From there, it will reduce dependence on foreign countries and mobilize resources from the whole society to reduce pressure on the state budget.

Delegate Nguyen Manh Hung - Can Tho delegation expressed that preparing human resources, developing an operational plan, effectively managing the project, and ensuring the smooth transfer of technology are key factors that will contribute to the success of this large-scale project.

Supporting the Government's decision to submit to the National Assembly 19 specific policies to facilitate project implementation, delegates requested the Ministry of Transport to carefully consider and supplement other specific policies if necessary to ensure the project is implemented in the most effective manner.

In addition, it is extremely necessary to comprehensively assess potential risks during project implementation, including risks related to capital, human resources, site clearance and technology. Proactively identifying and promptly responding to these risks will help minimize difficulties and ensure that the project proceeds as planned.

Delegate Hoang Van Cuong - Hanoi National Assembly Delegation

Citing the example of the 500KW line 3 project being able to be implemented at lightning speed, delegate Hoang Van Cuong - Hanoi delegation affirmed that it was because domestic investors were implementing it themselves, we could decide for ourselves.

With the high-speed railway project on the North-South axis, will we strive to complete it as planned or not? This depends entirely on whether we are in control or not. "If we are not in control, it will be very difficult. Because, during the implementation process, there will be all kinds of problems. If there is just a little problem, the investor will stop and not implement it anymore, then everything will be different immediately" - Mr. Cuong commented.

Therefore, the delegate believes that the deciding factor for the success or failure of high-speed railways lies in whether we can master the technology and the investment and construction process.

According to the delegate, although we currently do not have the technology to produce cars, why have electric cars like Vinfast become products that are not only sold domestically but also exported abroad, competing with major brands?

Therefore, we need to boldly invest in technology transfer. The problem here is that foreign investors must transfer technology, not just sell products. Next, we reserve the technology transfer for a strong domestic corporation to represent and receive technology transfer, investment, and production.

Of course, domestic corporations cannot do it alone, but must call on each enterprise to participate in a stage. Thus, we have a pillar enterprise as the "backbone" for the development of the railway industry and attract other enterprises to participate in the same chain.

For example, in the production of train cars, a seat manufacturing enterprise can also participate. If it is a foreign enterprise, they are willing to bring from their country and we will not have the opportunity. "Vietnam has enough strong corporations with enough potential. The problem is whether we dare to place orders or not, whether we dare to give them work or not? I think that when there is a market, there is no reason why domestic corporations do not dare to stand up" - the delegate pointed out.

Discussing at the group meeting of the 8th Session of the 15th National Assembly, the opinions of the National Assembly deputies all highly agreed with the investment policy of the North-South high-speed railway project with the political and legal bases and reasons stated in the Submission No. 767/TTr-CP. At the same time, it was emphasized that this is a project of symbolic significance, strategic significance, and is especially important in terms of economy, politics, society, and international integration. However, to ensure progress and feasibility, the National Assembly deputies also gave many specific comments related to: Capital sources for the project; socio-economic and financial efficiency of the project; specific mechanisms and policies, especially for project investment implementation...

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Source: https://congthuong.vn/bai-3-dai-bieu-quoc-hoi-hien-ke-de-du-an-ve-dich-thanh-cong-359692.html