How is the Ministry of Construction managing to 'spend money'?

TPO - According to the 2025 public investment capital plan, the Prime Minister assigned the Ministry of Construction 82,555 billion VND, however, by the end of August, the ministry had only disbursed more than 30,300 billion VND, reaching nearly 37%. The reason was due to a series of "bottlenecks" such as slow site clearance, lack of construction materials, contractor delays and untimely construction commencement procedures.

"Where the documents are, the money is there"

Speaking with Tien Phong reporter , a representative of the Department of Economics - Construction Investment Management (KT-QLĐTXD) under the Ministry of Construction said that completing the disbursement plan for 2025 is extremely important, considered a premise to achieve the GDP growth target of 8% or more this year and double digits in the following years.

The slow disbursement of projects of the Ministry of Construction is determined to be due to a number of core reasons such as: Many projects encounter difficulties in site clearance (GPMB), directly affecting the construction progress. When large-scale projects are implemented simultaneously, the supply of materials, especially sand and stone in the Southern region, encounters difficulties, not meeting the progress requirements.

In addition, the progress of construction and payment records of some contractors is still slow. Meanwhile, investment preparation procedures to organize the commencement of some projects are still slow.

The slow disbursement of projects by the Ministry of Construction is determined to be due to a number of core reasons. Illustration photo: AI.

According to the Department of Construction Investment and Management, since the beginning of the year, the Department has proposed many solutions to ensure the progress of public investment disbursement. The focus is on requiring investors to develop detailed plans, coordinate with the Department of Planning and Finance to make disbursement plans for each month, quarter, and year; at the same time, strengthen field inspections, promptly identify and remove difficulties in terms of site and materials.

For important national projects, key to the transport sector, the Department requires weekly reports on progress, volume and disbursement status, and strictly handles contractors who are behind schedule. Favorable projects are promoted to shorten construction time. Evidence is that 6 expressway sections such as Bai Vot - Ham Nghi, Ham Nghi - Vung Ang, Vung Ang - Bung... have reached the finish line early.

At the same time, the Department of Construction Investment and Management also requires project management boards and contractors to increase human resources, machinery, and organize construction in "3 shifts, 4 teams". Every month, the Department updates the completed volume and payment to speed up acceptance procedures. For projects with slow disbursement, capital will be transferred to projects in need, ensuring effective use of resources.

“The remaining disbursement volume is very large. The Department will continue to inspect and direct resolutely to ensure projects are on schedule and handle weak contractors. With synchronous solutions, we believe that the disbursement results of the Ministry of Construction in 2025 will continue to lead,” said a representative of the Department of Construction Economics and Management.

Ham Nghi - Vung Ang Expressway. Photo: Pham Truong.

According to economic expert Ngo Tri Long, the Ministry of Construction's target of disbursing at least 95% is feasible. However, the prerequisite is that the ministry must promptly transfer capital before September 20 and early November; finalize material prices, standardize price indexes; immediately remove procedures for projects "qualified for construction"; prioritize "explosive points" in inter-regional bidding packages, and speed up payments according to the principle of "where the documents are, there is money".

“The 2024 lesson shows that the end-of-year sprint is not enough if the right 'explosion point' in September is not chosen,” Mr. Long emphasized.

Reminder to 21 construction departments

According to the assessment of the Vietnam Road Administration (VRA), as of September 10, the acceptance and disbursement volume of many investors and Project Management Boards (PMUs) did not meet the registered plan. This situation directly threatens the target of completing disbursement within the year.

The list of delayed units has been publicly criticized by the Vietnam Road Administration. Among them, many localities have disbursement rates at very low levels, specifically: Hung Yen Department of Construction reached nearly 9%; Dak Nong Department of Construction nearly 13%; Dak Lak Department of Construction more than 13%; Ha Giang Department of Construction nearly 16%; Da Nang Department of Construction more than 17%. Some units have not fully implemented the reporting regime, causing difficulties in managing this year's maintenance plan.

The Vietnam Road Administration requires investors and Project Management Boards to be more focused and determined to ensure 100% disbursement of funds during the year, by reviewing surplus funds by clearly identifying unused or undisbursed funds during the year.

The agency noted that any unit that is late in reporting or provides inaccurate data will be held fully responsible. At the same time, updating data on the software for managing road maintenance plans and budgets is mandatory. Reports on the results of the maintenance plan implementation must also be submitted periodically on the 28th of each month.

The deputy directors are assigned to work directly with the People's Committees of provinces and cities and the Departments of Construction with slow progress, to propose specific measures to speed up the disbursement of maintenance capital.

Source: https://tienphong.vn/bo-xay-dung-dang-xoay-xo-tieu-tien-the-nao-post1778030.tpo