The Lao Cai - Hanoi - Hai Phong railway project is important, strategic, large-scale and complex. Therefore, the Government proposes that the National Assembly allow the application of a number of specific and special mechanisms and policies.
Proposal to apply 19 specific and special mechanisms and policies
On the afternoon of February 13, continuing the 9th extraordinary session, Minister of Transport Tran Hong Minh, authorized by the Prime Minister, presented a report on the investment policy for the Lao Cai - Hanoi - Hai Phong railway construction project.
Afterwards, at the parliament, the National Assembly also watched a video clip about the Lao Cai - Hanoi - Hai Phong railway project.
Minister of Transport Tran Hong Minh presented a proposal on the investment policy for the Lao Cai - Hanoi - Hai Phong railway construction project (Photo: Trong Quynh).
According to the Minister of Transport, the project has a main line length of about 390.9km and 3 branch lines of about 27.9km. The starting point is at the rail connection point across the border between the new Lao Cai station and Ha Khau Bac station (China), in Lao Cai city; the end point is at Lach Huyen wharf area, in Hai Phong city.
The project passes through 9 provinces and cities: Lao Cai, Yen Bai, Phu Tho, Vinh Phuc, Hanoi, Bac Ninh, Hung Yen, Hai Duong, Hai Phong. The total preliminary investment is about 203,231 billion VND (about 8.369 billion USD).
According to the Minister of Transport, the route was studied and selected to ensure the shortest and straightest route possible and to meet the following principles: consistent with the plans approved by competent authorities; ensuring the technical requirements of the route; and consistent with the natural conditions of the research area.
Restricting travel through areas sensitive to natural and social environment, national defense land; limiting the volume of land clearance; ensuring convenient connection with urban centers, important functional areas, convenient connection with railway routes in the Hanoi hub area, railways connecting to China.
The selected route plan has been basically agreed upon by 9/9 localities and will continue to be reviewed and adjusted to ensure economic and technical efficiency in the feasibility study report preparation step.
Regarding capital, the Government proposes that capital sources for the project include the State budget (central and local), domestic capital, foreign capital (loans from the Chinese Government) and other legal capital sources.
According to Minister of Transport Tran Hong Minh, the project route was studied and selected to ensure the shortest and straightest route (Photo: Trong Quynh).
Regarding investment scale, build a new electrified railway line with a gauge of 1,435mm, transporting both passengers and goods.
In which, the main line from the new Lao Cai station to Nam Hai Phong station has a design speed of 160km/h, the section through the Hanoi hub area has a design speed of 120km/h, the connecting sections and branch lines have a design speed of 80km/h.
In terms of technology, the project uses centralized power train technology for passenger and freight trains; the information and signal systems are equivalent to the systems currently in use on some railway lines transporting passengers and freight in the region.
Panorama of the parliament (Photo: Trong Quynh).
It is planned to arrange 18 stations (including 3 train stations and 15 mixed stations). During the exploitation process, when the transportation demand increases, some technical operation stations will be researched and upgraded into mixed stations and additional stations will be invested when needed.
According to the expected progress, the project will have a feasibility study report prepared from 2025, striving to basically complete it by 2030.
To implement the project, the Government proposed applying 19 specific and special mechanisms and policies, of which 15/19 mechanisms and policies have been approved by the National Assembly to be applied to the high-speed railway project on the North-South axis and adding 4 new mechanisms and policies.
It is necessary to allow the application of specific mechanisms and policies.
Presenting the review report, Chairman of the Economic Committee Vu Hong Thanh said that the Committee agreed on the necessity of investing in the project with the political and legal bases and practical reasons stated in the Government's submission.
Regarding specific mechanisms and policies, especially project implementation, the Economic Committee recognizes that the project plays an important role, has a long-term strategic nature, is very large in scale, and requires complex technical technology.
Therefore, to ensure the feasibility and effectiveness of the project, it is necessary for the Government to propose to the National Assembly to allow the application of a number of specific and special mechanisms and policies.
Chairman of the Economic Committee Vu Hong Thanh presents the inspection report (Photo: National Assembly Media).
Some opinions say that in policy 10, it is stipulated that "the head of the competent authority is entitled to decide to apply the designated bidding for consulting, non-consulting, and construction packages to carry out compensation, support, and resettlement work. The order and procedures for designated bidding shall comply with the provisions of the law on bidding".
However, the Law amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Law on Planning, the Law on Investment, the Law on Investment under the public-private partnership model and the Law on Bidding, effective since January 15, has allowed the appointment of contractors for "consulting and construction packages for relocation of technical infrastructure works to serve site clearance work; consulting and clearance packages for bombs, mines and explosives to prepare construction sites".
Therefore, it is recommended to continue reviewing and not propose mechanisms that have been stipulated in legal documents.
Regarding the four newly added specific policies, including the policy on adjusting related planning; on simultaneously implementing, appraising, and approving the Pre-Feasibility Study Report, Feasibility Study Report, technical design, bidding documents, and on contractor appointment, the Economic Committee finds that, in order to meet the urgent progress requirements of the project, the Government's proposals are well-founded.
However, the Committee recommends that during the implementation process, there should be a strict control mechanism to minimize the negative impacts that may be caused when applying specific mechanisms and policies. At the same time, the bidding process needs to be closely monitored to ensure the selection of capable and experienced contractors, avoiding loss and waste.
Regarding the policy on excluding, exempting or reducing the responsibility of heads of agencies, units, cadres, civil servants and public employees participating in and implementing the project, there are opinions that, with the urgent progress of the project, investment preparation may have shortcomings that cannot be assessed; this policy will contribute to protecting cadres, civil servants and public employees with a sense of responsibility.
However, to ensure feasibility in the implementation process, it is recommended to clarify the scope of subjects, types of exempted behaviors, clearly identify unintentional and non-profit fault factors, and specific exempted responsibilities.
The Economic Committee believes that this is an unprecedented policy, so if necessary, the Government needs to report and seek opinions from competent authorities before submitting it to the National Assembly for consideration and decision.
Which localities does the $8.3 billion railway line pass through?Source: https://www.baogiaothong.vn/de-xuat-co-che-dac-thu-lam-tuyen-duong-sat-lao-cai-ha-noi-hai-phong-192250213141217675.htm
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