Excavators line up at the construction site in Quảng Bình Province. Groundbreaking ceremonies are held this morning in Quảng Bình, Quảng Ngãi, Hậu Giang, Hà Tĩnh, Quảng Trị, Bình Định, Phú Yên, Khánh Hòa and Cà Mau. VNA Photo Mạnh Thành

HÀ NỘI — Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính attended a groundbreaking ceremony for 12 components of the second phase of the north-south expressway project in the central province of Quảng Ngãi on January 1.

The 12 component projects cover a total length of 723.7km, of which the Hà Tĩnh-Quảng Trị section is 260.9km, Quảng Ngãi-Nha Trang 352.1km and Cần Thơ-Cà Mau 110.9km.

The total investment is initially estimated at nearly VND147 trillion (US$6.23 billion).

In order to complete the expressway construction from the northern border province of Lạng Sơn to the southernmost province of Cà Mau by 2025, PM Chính asked the Transport Ministry to direct all stakeholders to ensure the safety and quality of work with the highest sense of responsibility.

Ministries, centrally-run agencies and authorities of 32 provinces must work closely with the Transport Ministry to tackle arising difficulties and complete the project on schedule.

On the occasion, the PM also launched the emulation month to accelerate the disbursement of public investment capital.

Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính meets with workers of the Bình Sơn Refining and Petrochemical (BSR) factory. VNA/VNS Photo

In the afternoon the same day, he visited the Việt Nam-Singapore Industrial Park (VSIP) Quảng Ngãi based in Dung Quất Economic Zone and Bình Sơn Refining and Petrochemical (BSR) factory in the province.

Covering a total area of 1,700ha, the VSIP Quảng Ngãi has so far drawn 32 investors, including 27 foreign investors from countries and territories including the US, Belgium, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Thailand, Singapore, the Philippines, Malaysia, Hong Kong and Taiwan with a total investment of nearly $1 billion, generating jobs to around 30,000 workers.

PM Chính agreed to allow Quảng Ngãi to build the VSIP 2 which must give priority to hi-tech areas, green and circular economy, digital transformation and innovation.

At the BSR, Chính said the Government would ask ministries and agencies to remove obstacles and expand the factory by late 2025 or early 2026, toward ensuring the supply of petrol across the country together with Nghi Sơn and Long Sơn petrochemical refineries in Thanh Hóa and Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu provinces.

Operational since 2010, the BSR has a total investment of roughly $3 billion and an annual capacity of approximately 6.5 million tonnes. Last year, it churned out around 7 million tonnes of products of various kinds, earned a post-tax profit of some VND13 trillion, contributed nearly VND18.3 trillion to the State budget and employed around 1,500 workers. VNS