As the new Minister of Transport, do you feel under pressure to carry on the work of your predecessor - Minister Đinh La Thăng?

I feel that it is my responsibility to continue the work that Thăng did not complete.

The biggest pressure I’m facing is how to build on what Thăng achieved before he left the position. (Thăng is now  the secretary of HCM City’s Party Committee).

Many challenges and difficult tasks lie ahead, particularly heavy public debt and many serious transport accidents.

Capital resources and qualified labour are in urgent demand for the transport sector to develop in the course of national industrialisation and modernisation.

I pledge to do my best to accomplish all missions and tasks assigned to me during my term of office.

What are your priorities during your term?

There are many important tasks that I have to accomplish, particularly achieving transparency in money disbursement within BOT projects, cutting down transport accidents, bottle necks in land settlement and more.

I have made a list of some urgent work to be done immediately and made them public so that everyone can keep track of my performance.

Among my priorities is using tax payers’ money carefully and responsibly.

How do you plan to mobilise capital in the context of less and less public funding for ministries?

We all know that the main capital resources for development come from ODA’s and commercial loans. Việt Nam has integrated deeper and wider regionally and internationally. It is also a signatory to many regional and international trade agreements and Free Trade Agreements (FTAs), including the Transpacific Partnership Agreement (TPP). Many opportunities and challenges are lying ahead for the nation and the transport sector in particular.

However, on behalf of all staff of the MOT, I promise to do my best to improve and develop the nation’s transport infrastructure while trying to utilise any opportunity presented to us to support other sectors and localities.

In the near future, we’ll organize a meeting with donors and businesses to listen to their ideas. After that, we’ll work out plans to harmonise the interest of the nation with those of the investors, business and people._VNS