Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc inspects infrastructure construction at Lộc An-Bình Sơn resettlement area. —VNA/VNS Photo

ĐỒNG NAI — Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc has urged authorities of southern Đồng Nai Province to complete site clearance on 1,800ha of land by October to begin construction of Long Thành International Airport.

While inspecting land clearance of the project on Tuesday, he said that the airport, which is a key national project, would help drive the development of Đồng Nai and other regions.

“The huge capital of VNĐ23 trillion (US$1 billion) for land clearance requires drastic measures to disburse the investment.

“Local authorities need to focus on land clearance, compensation and resettlement work,” he said.

Đồng Nai Province has so far completed land clearance on 364.21ha and is having difficulties in compensation and resettlement work on about 5,000ha of land.

A representative of the Airport Corporation of Việt Nam, Long Thành Airport’s investor, said they would not postpone putting the airport into operation by 2025 as planned.

“The COVID-19 pandemic does not affect the financial plans of the corporation. When we are handed over the land, we will start construction,” the investor said during a meeting between PM Phúc and Đồng Nai’s authorities the same day.

The PM visited Lộc An-Bình Sơn resettlement area covering more than 280ha in Long Thành District where schools, a market, a community house and a commune People’s Committee building have been built.

The resettlement area has 5,002 land lots to be transferred to households who gave up land for the airport construction.

PM Phuc urged Đồng Nai’s authorities to hasten public investment disbursement to make sure 95 per cent of investment for 266 local projects would be disbursed, especially VNĐ18 trillion investment in Long Thành Airport.

He asked ministries and sectors to assist Đồng Nai in the airport construction process. The Ministry of Transport must soon accomplish a feasibility study report of the project and submit it to the national assessment council.

The design and land clearance, investment preparation work for Long Thành Airport must be conducted at the same time, he said.

PM Phúc praised provincial authorities for making efforts in attracting foreign investment and for the 5.8 per cent GRDP growth achieved by the province in the first half of this year.

He noted that the province must strengthen land management and build urban areas reaching the development level of the region and the world.

He told the province to focus on industrial development, attract domestic investment and boost import-export activities.

Authorities of Đồng Nai proposed the expansion of the HCM City-Long Thành-Dầu Giây Expressway and surrounding roads because the expressway is a key transport route connecting with Long Thành Airport.

To strengthen links between the airport and Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu, Bình Dương, Bình Phước and Tây Ninh provinces, Đồng Nai’s authorities also proposed constructing Ring Road 4-HCM City which starts from Thủ Biên Bridge in Bình Dương to Phú Mỹ, Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu.

The Long Thành Airport project, which covers more than 5,580ha, has an investment of more than VNĐ336 trillion ($14.6 billion) with construction divided into three phases.

It will be located in six communes in Long Thành District in Đồng Nai Province.

In the first phase, a runway and one passenger terminal along with other support works will be built to serve 25 million passengers and 1.2 million tonnes of cargo each year.

The first phase is expected to be completed by 2025. — VNS