Infrastructure works fall into disrepair
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| The surface of a road in southern Hau Giang Province's Chau Thanh District, like many others, is not maintained. The Government has been urged to improve its maintenance policy and budget. — VNA/VNS Photo Duy Khuong |
DA NANG (VNS)— Viet Nam should finalise its policy and budget on construction project maintenance to enhance the life-span of industrial and civil engineering projects, head of Japan International Co-operation Association (JICA)'s project team, Tsuneo Kato, said.
Kato, who offered advice at the 3rd Viet Nam-Japan Seminar on Construction Quality and project management in central Da Nang City yesterday, said he has been working in Viet Nam for three years and witnessed the poor maintenance of construction projects throughout the country.
"Roads and railway bridges are not properly maintained in Viet Nam. I found that those attempting to implement a regular maintenance and repair programme for construction projects have faced difficulties in terms of facilities, human resources, technology, budget and procedure," he said.
"We have been refining our maintenance techniques since 1950 and we want to share our experience with Viet Nam in order to improve construction projects here," he told Viet Nam News.
Kato, who is head of JICA's project for capacity enhancement in construction quality assurance in Viet Nam, said he has offered policy consultations and helped plan maintenance of construction projects in Viet Nam.
He added if construction works like roads, railways, bridges, irrigation systems and buildings are maintained regularly, they can be used for longer.
At the seminar, representatives from 50 businesses and agencies from Viet Nam and Japan also discussed the current situation of construction projects in Viet Nam.
"The seminar was an opportunity for Japanese and Vietnamese experts to exchange their experiences in construction quality management," said deputy minister of construction, Bui Pham Khanh.
"The Ministry of Construction and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism of Japan have organised this seminar since 2010 and we have seen significant progress in implementing the Official Development Assistance projects in Viet Nam," he added.
He said, "making sure construction projects maintain adequate standards of quality is particularly important because Viet Nam's infrastructure is so rapidly developing."
Le Quang, deputy head of the State Department for Construction Quality Assessment, said Viet Nam would soon finalise its policy on construction maintenance, but it needed time to complete the procedure, which involved the participation of the ministries of finance, transport, justice, and construction.
Yuchi Ishikawa, director of the Overseas Project Division under Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, said the seminar aimed to improve maintenance of construction projects in Viet Nam.
"We have seen rapid growth in Viet Nam, which will necessitate significant investment in infrastructure in the coming years. It's necessary to maintain construction works so they are usable for a long time," Ishikawa told the seminar.
"This is also a big concern in Japan. At the seminar, Japanese experts will introduce maintenance techniques drawn from their experiences in Japan," he said. The seminar concludes today. — VNS