Workers at a construction site of a power transmission project. — VNA/VNS Illustrative Photo

Bùi Văn Kiên, deputy general director of the National Power Transmission Corporation (EVNNPT) talked to Vietnamplus.vn about solutions to remove difficulties and promote the disbursement of public investment as well as production and business amid the pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic is spreading in many parts of the country. How does this affect the progress of power transmission projects?

Many provinces and cities are now under social distancing. The pandemic has greatly affected the management, administration and implementation of power projects.

EVNNPT units can not work with the local government to implement the projects due to social distancing.

Consulting units face difficulties in travelling, conducting field surveys, measurements and applying for forest conversion to other purposes.

Localities can also hardly implement compensation for site clearance projects.

Isolation regulations has also affected the purchasing, supply of materials and construction. While goods transportation services from abroad to Việt Nam are not available due to the pandemic. 

In addition, the price of construction materials is still increasing due to the impact of the pandemic, affecting the selection of contractors and the performance of related contracts. 

What has EVNNPT done to ensure the dual goals of both construction investment and pandemic prevention?

In order to ensure the dual goals, EVNNPT has sent many documents to the People's Committees of provinces and cities, requesting continued coordination in implementing compensation for site clearance, creating favourable conditions for employees and  contractors in travelling, transporting materials and equipment and construction. So many difficulties and obstacles have been removed.

The units have also applied information technology in management, administration as well as handling problems arising during the implementation of projects by online meetings.

EVNNPT has requested consulting contractors to have appropriate solutions to reduce the impact on project progress such as hiring qualified subcontractors, and cooperating with other units.

Thanks to those efforts, EVNNPT has completed many power projects in Pleiku, Đắk Nông, Lai Châu, Thanh Hóa and Ninh Thuận.

For urgent power projects to be completed in 2021, especially renewable energy projects, what has EVNNPT done to ensure the projects are completed on time?

For key and urgent projects, EVNNPT has established a steering committee to run these projects smoothly, minimising the time to deal with related works. We regularly review the progress of projects to promptly solve problems that arise during implementation.

What recommendations does the corporation have for the Government to deal with difficulties?

The negative impact of the pandemic on the progress of power transmission projects is huge.

In order to help EVNNPT soon remove difficulties and complete projects on time, we expect the Government, ministries and local authorities to identify the electricity industry as an essential service, related to national energy security, socio-economy and people's lives.

We hope that the travelling of workers and the transportation of equipment and materials for construction will be facilitated when meeting pandemic prevention regulations.

Ministries and agencies should soon have support policies due to the increased prices of supplies and materials as well as consider exempting responsibility for EVNNPT when it fails to meet the progress of projects due to the pandemic.

The People's Committees of provinces and cities should also direct local departments, agencies and units to closely coordinate with EVNNPT and the project management boards to implement works related to power line routing, forest conversion and compensation for ground clearance. — VNS