On the afternoon of 4/12, Minister of Finance Nguyen Van Thang presented to the National Assembly Standing Committee a draft resolution outlining special mechanisms and policies for implementing major projects in Hanoi.

Minister of Finance Nguyen Van Thang presented the draft resolution on the afternoon of 4/12. Photo: National Assembly Media

The government's proposal aims to address institutional bottlenecks, mobilize resources, and promote rapid, sustainable development in the capital. The draft resolution suggests allowing the Hanoi People's Council or the Chairman of the Hanoi People's Committee to decide on the investment policy for these projects, rather than requiring approval from the National Assembly or Prime Minister. This change seeks to shorten preparation time, with some projects also eligible for special selection processes for contractors and investors.

According to the draft, major and important projects in the capital include public investment projects, public-private partnerships (PPP), and projects requiring immediate implementation as directed by the Politburo, the Party Central Committee Secretariat, the Government Party Committee, and the Hanoi Party Committee Executive Board. This category also encompasses projects meeting national key criteria, projects utilizing local budgets, or those listed for attracting strategic investors, all with a total investment capital of 30,000 ty dong or more. Additionally, it includes projects for renovating old apartment buildings and addressing bottlenecks such as traffic congestion, flooding, and environmental pollution.

The drafting agency also proposed that for projects requiring implementation as directed, the Hanoi People's Council would decide on compensation, support, and resettlement levels up to two times the regulated amount. These projects would also be allowed to conduct planning and construction commencement procedures concurrently with investment policy approval procedures.

Reviewing this content, Phan Van Mai, Chairman of the Economic and Budget Committee, agreed on the necessity of issuing the resolution through expedited procedures. He believes this approach would help remove institutional bottlenecks, mobilize resources, and promote rapid, sustainable development in the capital. However, the Committee requested the government to review certain provisions in the draft that fall outside the National Assembly's authority, such as selecting investors and contractors, and allowing the implementation of urban renovation, embellishment, and reconstruction projects or the rebuilding of apartment buildings under build-transfer (BT) contracts.

Contributing to the session, Tran Minh Khuong, Deputy Auditor General of the State Audit Office, stated that the proposal to double compensation, support, and resettlement levels was not sufficiently robust. He suggested that this proposal should be revised to ensure compensation prices are close to market rates, and support for livelihood stabilization and vocational training is equal to two times the regulated amount. Regarding the expedited procedures, the Deputy Auditor General noted that commencing construction without completing all procedures could pose risks to project quality and safety. Therefore, he proposed that projects should have their technical designs and construction drawings approved before implementation.

Hoang Thanh Tung, Chairman of the Law Committee, requested the drafting agency to thoroughly review the draft to avoid overlapping with the Capital Law, which already contains provisions for key projects. Furthermore, Tung noted that while the People's Council can decide on investment policies for projects using the city's budget under the Capital Law, the draft resolution expands this to include projects utilizing central government funds. Consequently, he expressed concerns about the feasibility and assurance of funding for such projects.

In his subsequent explanation, the Minister of Finance stated that the ministry would study ways to streamline the authority to approve investment policies for projects using the city's budget. Regarding land acquisition, the Minister added that the drafting agency would amend the resolution so that the People's Council would not decide on a general list but approve each specific project when directed by competent authorities (such as the Politburo or Party Central Committee Secretariat), acting under authorization to ensure rigor.

Hanoi Chairman Vu Dai Thang spoke at the session on the afternoon of 4/12. Photo: National Assembly Media

Vu Dai Thang, Chairman of the Hanoi People's Committee, stated that the city and relevant ministries have thoroughly reviewed the practical issues faced by current projects. "This is the aspiration of the capital and various ministries to resolve these issues, especially for key projects in the upcoming period," he said. Therefore, the Hanoi Chairman hopes the National Assembly will consider passing the resolution, enabling the city to promptly implement several projects and execute the capital's master plan to meet long-term development requirements.

Anh Tu