Deputy Prime Minister Bùi Thanh Sơn chairs the meeting on Tuesday morning.— Photo baochinhphu.vn

HÀ NỘI — Relevant agencies and localities with disbursement rates below the national average are being told to explain the reasons for the slow pace of fund allocation, including why available resources have not been deployed effectively.

The request was made during a meeting held on Tuesday morning, where Deputy Prime Minister Bùi Thanh Sơn chaired a session on the allocation and disbursement of public investment funds for three ministries, central agencies, and 13 localities in the Mekong Delta, under Working Group No. 5.

Sơn also urged the proposal of solutions to expedite the disbursement process for public investment.

Working Group No. 5, led by Sơn, is tasked with overseeing the ministries and agencies including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Việt Nam Electricity (EVN), as well as Mekong Delta localities of Long An, Tiền Giang, Bến Tre, Trà Vinh, Vĩnh Long, Cần Thơ, Hậu Giang, Sóc Trăng, An Giang, Đồng Tháp, Kiên Giang, Bạc Liêu and Cà Mau.

Sơn emphasised that the disbursement of public investment funds was a critical political task to achieve the GDP growth target of over 8 per cent in 2025 and to lay the foundation for double-digit growth in the following years.

For this reason, the Government had established seven working groups to inspect, supervise and resolve obstacles in the disbursement of public investment funds.

For 2025, the total public investment funds allocated to the three ministries, central agencies and 13 localities in Working Group No. 5 amount to VNĐ55.6 trillion (US$2.17 billion), of which VNĐ43.3 trillion ($1.68 billion) is domestic capital and VNĐ2.917 trillion ($113.7 million) is foreign capital.

As of now, the average disbursement rate of the ministries, agencies and localities stands at 7.74 per cent of the plan allocated by the Prime Minister, surpassing the national average of 7.32 per cent.

However, one ministry, one agency and six localities still exhibit low disbursement rates, falling below the national average.

At the meeting, reports from the ministries and localities showed that the main reasons for the delays in disbursement include lengthy land clearance procedures and projects implemented abroad that must comply with local regulations. Other reasons include shortages of fill materials for several expressway projects, some projects lacking specific technical standards and regulations for implementation and there is insufficient coordination between central agencies and localities during the execution of Government projects at the local level.

Delays in completing procedures for new projects requiring investment decisions and the suspension of construction projects for district and commune-level administrative buildings were also mentioned.

At the meeting, ministries and localities also committed to making the greatest efforts to achieve the disbursement level required by the Government, in which Long An Province would strive to disburse 100 per cent of public investment capital in 2025.

In his closing remarks, Sơn acknowledged the efforts made by the ministries, agencies and localities to find solutions to the ongoing issues and reaffirmed their commitment to accelerating the pace of public investment projects, particularly expressway construction.

For the tasks ahead, Sơn ordered heads of ministries, agencies and localities to directly lead, manage and monitor each project, developing quarterly and monthly disbursement plans for each initiative.

The ministries, agencies and localities were encouraged to proactively review and assess the allocation status, implementation and disbursement progress of each project to ensure that any internal reallocation of funds could be made promptly for projects in need, ensuring full use of the allocated funds.

Additionally, they should focus on addressing emerging difficulties, ensuring adequate counterpart funding for ODA projects, and directing project owners and management boards to closely coordinate with local authorities on land clearance for the projects.

Sơn also recommended intensifying advocacy and communication efforts to garner public consensus on land clearance, compensation and resettlement support policies.

He assigned the Ministries of Finance, Agriculture and Environment, Construction and Justice to promptly address issues within their remit, or report any matters beyond their authority to the government or Prime Minister for resolution, ensuring that localities can swiftly overcome challenges and obstacles.— VNS