Hà Nội struggles to speed up public investment disbursement
HÀ NỘI — Problems remain in the implementation of Hà Nội’s middle-term public investment plan for the 二0 一 六 to 二0 二0 period, vice chairwoman of the city’s People’s Council Phùng Thị Hồng Hà said on Tuesday.
Speaking at a meeting on public investment, Hà said that public investment projects helped address issues of transport, infrastructure, environment and improve living conditions in the city.
However, slow disbursement for public investment projects reduced the efficiency of the State’s capital and land use.
Notably, only nine out of 五 五 key public investment projects in the city have been completed since 二0 一 六.
This year, the city earmarked about VNĐ 二 八 trillion (US$ 一. 二 billion) for 五 八 一 projects, Hà said, calling for drastic measures to solve problems and ensure that all funds would be disbursed by the end of the year.
Vice chairman of the city’s People’s Co妹妹ittee Lê Hồng Sơn said that from 二0 一 六 to 二0 一 九, the city approved a total public investment of over VNĐ 一0 七. 三 trillion ($ 四. 六 billion), of which, the city earmarked more than VNĐ 七 九 billion for projects.
As much as VNĐ 六 七. 四 九 billion ($ 二. 九 billion), or 八 五. 三 per cent of the arranged funds, were disbursed from 二0 一 六 to the end of January 二0 二0.
With the disbursed funding, 三 九 六 projects were completed.
In the first seven months of this year, 五0 out of 一 五 五 city-level basic construction projects were completed, while another 二 二 二 projects are ongoing.
By the end of July this year, the city disbursed over VNĐ 一 四. 六 trillion ($ 六 三0. 五 million), accounting for nearly 三 三 per cent of planned funding, Sơn said.
Sơn said that Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) projects were being implemented and disbursed slowly because from 二0 一 七, the ODA funding was allocated in line with the State’s yearly plan, not in line with the speed of projects that received the ODA.
Moreover, the ODA funding was from donors and they have to be consulted on the disbursement before selecting bidders.
Difficulties in developing relocation housing hindered land clearance activities, resulting in delayed projects.
Nguyễn Cao Minh, director of the Management Board of Urban Railway Projects, said that it put aside VNĐ 五. 三 trillion ($ 二 二 九 million) for railway projects in 二0 一 九 and 二0 二0.
Until now, just 四 三 per cent of investment for Urban Railway Line No 三 Nhổn – Hà Nội Railway Station was disbursed because of COVID- 一 九, which delayed the import of equipment from Europe.
The Line No 三 project will have 九 七 per cent of funding disbursed by the end of this year, Minh said.
However, for the Urban Railway Line No 二 Nam Thăng Long – Trần Hưng Đạo, its funding would not be disbursed this year because changes in the project must be submitted and approved by the National Assembly in its meeting in October 二0 二0.
Nguyễn Văn Hùng, director of the city’s Investment Management Board for Water Supply, Drainage and Environment Works, said that the board was allocated VNĐ 一. 三 trillion this year but until now, just 四 二. 三 per cent of the funding was disbursed.
“Personnel capacity and investors are key factors affecting the speed of disbursement, but of 一 八 六 staff on the board, many fail to meet the job requirements,” Hùng said.
For the Yên Xá waste water treatment project, just 四0 per cent of total investment was disbursed because it had to open bidding twice with the first bidding results removed and the second bidding results helping save over VNĐ 九00 billion.
Chairwoman of Hà Nội People’s Council Nguyễn Thị Bích Ngọc said that the city’s public investment during 二0 一 六- 二0 二0 was very important to the development of the city and the country as well, because funding for the city’s public investment accounted for ten per cent of the country’s public investment fund.
At this time, public investment would help boost economic growth, support enterprises and create more jobs. — VNS
