Vàm Cống bridge across Hậu river in the Mekong Delta. VNA/VNS Photo

HCM CITY — Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyễn Chí Dũng has urged localities in the south-east and Mekong Delta regions to develop transport infrastructure by diversifying the sources of and effectively using capital over the next five years. 

Speaking at a conference on socio-economic development in the two regions, he called on them to lay out their objectives and priorities for public investment in 2021-25 to ensure “focused and effective investment.”

“The socio-economic plans need to be consistent with and build on the achievements of the last five years.”

Development should focus on people, narrowing the development gap between various regions, ensuring social security, and reducing poverty.

“Strict management and control of public investment is needed to minimise losses to the government exchequer and squander.”

The south-eastern region must prioritise resources for developing ports, airports and roads linking ports.

The delta region must focus on resolving challenges related to transportation, water storage, and riverbank and coastal erosion. 

Provinces and cities in the two regions would be able to take advantage of the shift of global investment flows by 2025, attracting large-scale and hi-tech investment to create value chains. They would also speed up administrative reform, and improve the investment and business climate.

Global supply chains would be created in the south-eastern region, which would promote HCM City’s role as an economic locomotive. 

The delta would be able to achieve higher per capita income, and high-tech farming would account for a larger proportion of the delta region’s economy. 

Resources would be used efficiently to turn the Mekong Delta into a prosperous region adapted to climate change.

Economist Lê Đăng Doanh also stressed the importance of investment in infrastructure in the Mekong Delta.

“In addition to public resources, it is necessary to mobilise investment from the private sector for building infrastructure in the region.”

Recently Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc instructed the Ministry of Transport to give priority to building the Cần Thơ - Cà Mau Expressway in 2021-25. 

He also wanted the ministry to solicit private investment for the HCM City - Trung Lương - Mỹ Thuận - Cần Thơ - Cà Mau highway. 

He particularly ordered the completion of the Trung Lương – Mỹ Thuận Expressway this year and open it to traffic in 2021.

“Public investment plans for the next five years need to include projects and programmes important to national development like the North-South Expressway, coastal roads and digital economy.” — VNS

Bà Rịa - Vũng Tàu invests in two major projects

Bà Rịa - Vũng Tàu has recently received approval from the Government for two major projects, the Biên Hòa - Vũng Tàu Expressway and Phước An Bridge. 

Trần Thượng Chí, director the province Department of Transport, said the bridge is an important project connecting the Cái Mép – Thị Vải port with the North-South Expressway and southern inter-regional highways. 

The Biên Hòa - Vũng Tàu expressway is set to reduce the pressure on Highway 51, and also serve as the main route between Bà Rịa - Vũng Tàu and the south-eastern region.

Đồng Nai Province to complete highway network

Cao Tiến Dũng, chairman of the Đồng Nai Province People’s Committee, said many highways passing through the province would be built soon.

The province has petitioned the Government to speed up construction of expressways like Bến Lức - Long Thành, Dầu Giây - Liên Khương, Phan Thiết - Dầu Giây, and widening of the HCM City - Long Thành – Dầu Giây Expressway.

Experts said Đồng Nai holds an important location in the south-eastern region. The proposed Long Thành international airport will become an economic spearhead for the region when opened.

Bình Dương to improve transport infrastructure 

Trần Bá Luận, director of the Bình Dương Department of Transport, said the province in the Southern Key Economic Region is working with Đồng Nai to build the Bạch Đằng 2 Bridge between them. 

The province also plans to build a rail link to industrial zones in Bà Rịa - Vũng Tàu, Đồng Nai and HCM City.

It has petitioned the Ministry of Transport to build a 31-km road to connect it with other key economic provinces.