Proposal to allow private investment in North-South high-speed railway project

Some private investors proposed to do the project.

On the afternoon of June 25, the Government submitted to the National Assembly a proposal to supplement the investment form for the North-South high-speed railway project.

Regarding this content, the Government proposed that the National Assembly approve the addition of other investment forms (investment under public-private partnership (PPP), business investment...) for the high-speed railway project on the North-South axis, in addition to the form of public investment.

On that basis, the Government will select the form of investment and investors according to regulations. In case there are other mechanisms and policies beyond its authority, it will report to the National Assembly.

Proposal to allow private investment in North-South high-speed railway project photo 1

Proposal for private investors to build high-speed railway.

This proposal was made in the context that Vietnam will invest in the North-South high-speed railway project. The Politburo has agreed on the investment policy for this project in the form of public investment and the National Assembly has approved the investment policy and form of public investment in Resolution 172 dated November 30, 2024.

The Government said that since April 2025, the Government has worked with localities to prepare for site clearance; select project management consultants and review and compile 31 sets of standards.

Along with that, the Government also works with domestic and foreign organizations and enterprises to call for participation in project implementation, as well as to develop and promulgate decrees and projects on railway resource development and the Railway Industry Development Project.

The Government said it has received investment proposals from a number of investors for this project. The investors have requested to invest in the form of private investment (according to the Investment Law), with progress faster than that stated in Resolution 172/2024 of the National Assembly.

The budget capital will be used for site clearance, resettlement support, and handing over clean land to investors...

At the time the Politburo approved the investment policy for the North-South high-speed railway line in the form of public investment, no investors were interested in or proposed to invest in this project.

After Resolution 68 on breakthrough private economic development, a number of investors were interested in investing in the project.

However, according to Resolution 172/2024 of the National Assembly, there is no form of direct private investment or other form of investment.

From there, the Government proposed that the National Assembly allow additional forms of investment other than public investment. In case of need for policies beyond its authority, the Government will report to the National Assembly.

Continue to use place names and locations before and after the merger

On the same afternoon, the National Assembly discussed solutions to continue implementing planning associated with administrative unit arrangement.

The Government proposes that ministries and localities prepare, research, establish, and adjust planning within their assigned functions and tasks. Ministries and localities are allowed to use regular expenditure sources, public investment capital, and other joint capital to establish and adjust planning.

Notably, localities that merge provincial administrative units will have 2 or 3 plans. Meanwhile, localities that do not merge will also have inappropriate contents in terms of geographical scope, place names or development orientations and spatial organization.

The Government recommends that plans (national, regional, provincial) for the period up to 2030 that were approved before the effective date of the Resolution of the 9th session will continue to be implemented until there is a replacement or adjustment plan.

Speaking at the meeting, delegate Nguyen Truc Son (Ben Tre) said that in the context of merging provinces and cities, the need to adjust planning is necessary.

According to him, when the Planning Law has not been amended, the biggest problem that localities will face after the merger is adjusting project programs.

Therefore, it is very necessary to allow localities after the merger to adjust their planning implementation plans, especially those related to traffic connection projects and construction and repair of headquarters serving two-level governments.

From there, delegates hope that the Government needs to have specific instructions so that localities can work synchronously, have more time to prepare for capital allocation, and carry out procedures for selecting consulting units.

Explaining later, Finance Minister Nguyen Van Thang said that the Government has solutions to implement planning work associated with administrative unit arrangement.

For localities that have merged administrative units, when implementing plans and projects that have been approved for investment policies, they will continue to use the place names and locations both before and after the merger.

In addition, ministries, branches and localities are also allowed to use regular public investment capital and other sources to establish and adjust planning... instead of previously only using public investment sources.

Luan Dung

Source: https://tienphong.vn/de-xuat-cho-phep-dau-tu-tu-nhan-du-an-duong-sat-toc-do-cao-bac-nam-post1754554.tpo