Reason for stopping appraisal of Metro Line 5 project, Bay Hien intersection - Saigon bridge
There are many important contents in the Pre-Feasibility Study Report of the Ho Chi Minh City Urban Railway Construction Project, Metro Line No. 5, Bay Hien Intersection - Saigon Bridge, Phase 1 that need to be updated.
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| Metro line 5 phase 1. |
The Ministry of Planning and Investment has just issued Official Dispatch No. 456/BKHĐT – GSTĐĐT to the People's Committee of Ho Chi Minh City on the Pre-Feasibility Study Report for the Project to build the Ho Chi Minh City urban railway line, metro line No. 5, Bay Hien intersection – Saigon bridge, phase 1 (Metro line No. 5 project, Bay Hien intersection – Saigon bridge).
According to the Ministry of Planning and Investment - the standing agency of the Council, the Metro Line 5 project, Bay Hien Intersection - Saigon Bridge is being appraised by the Council.
However, at the end of December 2024, the Ho Chi Minh City Urban Railway Project Management Board sent Document No. 3841/BQLDSĐT - CBĐT to the Appraisal Council stating that the Project for developing the Ho Chi Minh City urban railway system had been discussed and approved by the competent authority.
In addition, the project to adjust the general planning of Ho Chi Minh City to 2040, with a vision to 2060, has also been submitted for appraisal by the locality, expected to be approved in early 2025.
It is expected that many main contents of the Metro Line 5 Project, Bay Hien intersection - Saigon bridge will change according to the Project for developing the urban railway system of Ho Chi Minh City as well as the Project for adjusting the general planning of Ho Chi Minh City to 2040, with a vision to 2060.
Specifically, according to the Project to Adjust the General Planning of Ho Chi Minh City to 2040, with a vision to 2060, metro line No. 5 will be a semi-ring route connecting the South to the East, connecting the key development area of Hung Long (South) to the key development area of Truong Tho (East), connecting the new Can Giuoc bus station (Long Hung University Village), University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Hung Vuong Hospital, Phu Tho Stadium, University of Science and Technology, Ly Tu Trong College, University of Fine Arts, Global City Urban Area, Dong Tang Long New Urban Area, Vinhomes Grandpark Urban Area.
According to the Project for developing the urban railway system in Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh City plans to change the investment plan for metro line 5.
Specifically, Ho Chi Minh City will not divide the investment of Metro Line 5 into 2 phases as before, but will invest in the entire line. Metro Line 5 will be on the list of priority investment routes and will complete construction and installation work by 2035; the capital source for implementation will be prioritized to use the state budget (not stopping ODA capital) and many special policy mechanisms will be proposed to be applied.
With the above contents, the completed Pre-Feasibility Study Report of the Project is no longer consistent with the Project for the Development of the Ho Chi Minh City Urban Railway System which was reported to the Politburo for approval; major changes (including: scope, route direction, scale, investment capital, special mechanisms...) are no longer consistent with the initial proposal.
Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee must organize the preparation of the Project's Pre-Feasibility Study Report in accordance with current practical conditions and current legal regulations.
Therefore, in Official Dispatch No. 456, the Ministry of Planning and Investment said that it would return to the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee the entire Project dossier according to Submission No. 3096/TTr-UBND dated May 22, 2017 and Document No. 3656/UBND-DA dated September 24, 2020 for the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee to complete the Project dossier according to regulations.
Regarding the organization of appraisal of the Project's Pre-Feasibility Study Report, the Ministry of Planning and Investment said that the State Appraisal Council was established by the Prime Minister in 2017 to appraise the Project's Pre-Feasibility Study Report with Submission No. 3096/TTr-UBND.
The State Appraisal Council has held an appraisal meeting and has submitted a report on the appraisal results to the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee for completion. Up to now, there have been many changes in the members of the State Appraisal Council (due to retirement or job transfer, etc.).
According to the Ministry of Planning and Investment, the Government is currently directing ministries and branches to urgently focus on streamlining the state management apparatus and have plans to merge and consolidate ministries and agencies, so there will certainly be changes in the organization and operation of the State Appraisal Council.
Therefore, the State Appraisal Council established by the Prime Minister in Decision No. 987/QD-TTg will no longer be suitable for the actual situation and will have to be newly established to ensure that it is suitable for the functions, tasks and responsibilities of the agencies with members participating in the State Appraisal Council after the merger of ministries and agencies.
In addition, the Ho Chi Minh City Urban Railway Management Board is also working with relevant agencies to advise the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee to send a document to the Ministry of Planning and Investment to temporarily suspend the appraisal of the Project's Pre-Feasibility Study Report.
“Therefore, we request that the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee promptly give its opinion on the above proposal of the Ho Chi Minh City Urban Railway Management Board before January 21, 2025 so that the Standing Body of the Council can consider and report to the Prime Minister on the organization of the appraisal of the Project according to regulations,” the official dispatch of the Ministry of Planning and Investment stated.
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