Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh: The North-South expressway from Cao Bang to Ca Mau must be completed by 2025.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh chairs a meeting to urge highway projects. Photo: Duong Giang/VNA

The meeting was held directly at the Government Headquarters and online to the People's Committees of the provinces and cities where the expressway project passes through. Also attending were Deputy Prime Ministers; leaders of central ministries and branches.

To achieve the goal of having over 3,000 km of highway by the end of 2025, the country is currently implementing 28 projects, expressway component projects with a total length of about 1,188 km planned to be completed in 2025. In addition, the two expressway projects Dong Dang (Lang Son) - Tra Linh (Cao Bang) and Huu Nghi - Chi Lang (Lang Son province) are also striving to open before December 31, 2025.

In recent times, the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Ministers have paid attention and spent a lot of time and effort directing ministries and branches to coordinate in removing obstacles related to mechanisms and procedures; directing localities to speed up site clearance and resolve procedures for granting mines; directing investors to speed up progress and pay attention to quality assurance.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh speaks. Photo: Duong Giang/VNA

Up to now, the progress of most projects has been on schedule, many projects have been ahead of schedule. However, there are still some projects that are behind schedule, some problems and issues have not been thoroughly resolved, so the Prime Minister has established 7 inspection teams, headed by Deputy Prime Ministers and led by leaders of ministries, branches and localities, to directly inspect, direct and remove difficulties.

During the period from March 6 to 14, the inspection teams directly inspected the site, organized work with localities, investors, and contractors; issued 7 Notices assigning specific tasks to each agency and unit to focus on removing obstacles and promoting the progress of the projects. All localities committed to completing the milestones set by the inspection teams. After the inspection teams gave instructions, the projects had many positive changes, some localities basically completed the handover of site clearance, and completed the procedures for granting material mines.

Based on the actual situation, the inspection teams assessed the possibility of completion, 28 projects with a total length of 1,188 km were divided into 2 groups: Group 1 of projects ensuring completion progress in 2025: including 18 projects/897 km basically no longer have major difficulties or problems, the implementation progress is closely following the set plan.

Group 2 of projects still faces many difficulties, progress has not met the set plan: including 10 projects/291 km with a plan to complete in 2025. After the inspection teams gave instructions, the projects have had many positive changes. However, there are still some tasks related to site clearance and construction material sources that have not met the requirements for completion in March 2025.

Concluding the meeting, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh emphasized that we have set a growth target of at least 8% or more by 2025, striving for double-digit growth in the following years, so promoting public investment is an extremely important solution, in which, transport infrastructure is of decisive significance, creating new development space for localities, facilitating travel for people, reducing input costs, reducing logistics costs, increasing product competitiveness, and attracting investment.

To achieve the growth target and the goal of having over 3,000 km of road by the end of 2025, the Prime Minister recently decided to establish 7 inspection teams led by Deputy Prime Ministers; after a period of operation, it is clear that the establishment of these teams is effective, and some issues have been basically resolved on the spot.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh speaks. Photo: Duong Giang/VNA

The Prime Minister welcomed and requested that Deputy Prime Ministers continue to spend time, monthly inspecting and urging assigned projects and areas, closely coordinating with relevant agencies, units and localities to promptly handle unexpected issues; localities and contractors must promptly and accurately reflect on difficulties; the spirit is all for the benefit of the country. In addition to promoting the implementation of projects, it is necessary to actively prevent corruption, negativity and waste.

The Prime Minister directed localities to mobilize the entire political system to complete the site clearance work, provide sufficient materials, and prevent the project from running out of materials; flexibly apply mechanisms and policies; and pay attention to the lives of people in the project area so that people who have to relocate can have a life equal to or better than their old place of residence, without being disadvantaged.

The Prime Minister requested that regarding problems related to high-voltage power lines intersecting with highways, the Ministry of Industry and Trade and Vietnam Electricity Group (EVN) urgently inspect, review, and actively relocate these projects so as not to affect construction progress.

Da Nang City, Tuyen Quang and Ha Giang provinces speed up licensing procedures and increase the capacity of stone quarries. Long An Province and Ho Chi Minh City speed up the construction of Ben Luc - Long Thanh expressway intersections, ensuring the synchronous exploitation of this expressway project by April 30, 2025. Lang Son and Cao Bang provinces actively direct and ensure the opening of Dong Dang - Tra Linh expressway in 2025. An Giang Province completes procedures to increase the output of Antraco stone quarry, prioritizing materials for the project to be completed in 2025.

Minister of Construction Tran Hong Minh speaks. Photo: Duong Giang/VNA

The Prime Minister directed provinces and cities to review, not delay progress, be responsible to the Government and the Prime Minister for the committed progress of the project; strengthen propaganda and mobilize people to hand over the project, ensure the legitimate rights and interests of the people; resolutely handle according to the law those who oppose excessively, causing disorder and political security.

Construction units must actively carry out construction, ensuring labor safety and environmental sanitation at construction sites. Localities must also pay attention to the lives of construction units at construction sites.

In particular, the Prime Minister requested investors and construction units to ensure the quality of projects and works, ensure technical and aesthetic requirements, restore after construction, ensure the environmental landscape is "bright, green, clean, beautiful"; reward projects completed on schedule; and at the same time, have sanctions to handle units that do not complete on schedule.

Representative of Lizen Joint Stock Company speaking. Photo: Duong Giang/VNA

The Ministry of Finance shall preside over and coordinate with localities to review and arrange sufficient capital to be completed in 2025; report to competent authorities on issues beyond their authority for timely handling; promptly complete procedures for appraising investment policies for a number of expressway projects, avoiding the situation of "inconsistency".

The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment urgently reviews legal regulations guiding localities to return waste disposal sites, assess the impact on crops and livestock of people affected by project construction; Vietnam Expressway Corporation (VEC) reviews progress and speeds up the completion of assigned bid packages. The Ministry of Home Affairs monitors, inspects, and urges the emulation movement of 500 days and nights to complete 3,000 km of expressways.

For projects to be completed in 2025, the Prime Minister requested the Ministry of Construction to review projects in this group that can be completed before April 30, 2025, and to try to organize an online inauguration on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Liberation of the South and National Reunification on April 30; review projects completed on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of National Day on September 2 and the end of the year on December 31, 2025.

For group 2 projects and works, the Prime Minister requested the entire political system to participate in site clearance; the armed forces of the Military Regions must also participate in supporting corporations and general companies that are facing difficulties in progress; remove weak contractors from the projects; and actively apply solutions and science and technology to speed up construction progress.

Emphasizing the requirement to complete the North-South expressway by December 31, 2025 and assigning the Army to urgently research and invest in the construction of the expressway from Ca Mau to Hon Khoai port, the Prime Minister emphasized that large contractors must connect with local contractors, share work, create conditions for them to develop, and create more livelihoods for local people.

Affirming that the Government will balance capital to prioritize projects to be completed in 2025, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh requested that when arranging administrative units, it is also necessary to actively research and invest in building more bridges and roads to enhance connectivity.

VNA

Source: https://daibieunhandan.vn/thu-tuong-pham-minh-chinh-phai-hoan-thanh-tuyen-cao-toc-truc-bac-nam-tu-cao-bang-toi-ca-mau-trong-nam-2025-post408750.html