NA deputies grill officials over delayed Long Thành Airport project

November 10,kq chau au 2023 - 07:30 Your browser does not support the audio element. NA deputies focused on the reasons behind the delayed progress of the Long Thành International Airport project and the measures to address it.

Minister of Transport Nguyễn Văn Thắng speaks at the question and answer session of the National Assembly’s sixth session on Thursday. VNA/VNS Photo Phương Hoa

HÀ NỘI – During a discussion at the National Assembly (NA)’s sixth session on Thursday NA deputies continuously raised questions about the reasons behind the delayed progress of the Long Thành International Airport project and the measures to address it.

Sharing her opinion on the feasibility study report of the land reclamation, compensation, support and resettlement project for the Long Thành International Airport, Deputy Nguyễn Thị Việt Nga from northern Hải Dương Province stated that the Government has cited various reasons for the extended project timeline. However, these reasons were mostly external.

One reason highlighted by the deputy, which she found less convincing, was the project's large scale and complexity, requiring careful planning and coordination among various departments and sectors. According to the deputy, this should not be a cause for delay since the project's scale and workload were thoroughly reviewed during the planning phase.

Nga proposed a more realistic assessment of the reasons for the project's delayed implementation compared to the schedule. This would help in formulating effective solutions and avoiding further delays in the future despite the granted extension.

She also pointed out that the residents in the resettlement area still lacked public utilities, especially schools. This situation could negatively impact the local residents, and there was an urgent need to complete all components of the project to stabilise the residents' lives.

"The implementation of the vocational training and employment solutions, as well as the reorganisation of people's lives, has been progressing too slowly, while this is a crucial aspect of the project,” she said, suggesting that thorough research and careful evaluation were needed to address this issue.

Deputy Nguyễn Thị Mai Hoa from southern Đồng Tháp Province stated that the Long Thành Airport was a massive project that last three NA terms: the 13th NA approved the investment proposal, the 14th NA issued Resolution No 53 agreeing to separate the land reclamation and resettlement project, and the 15th NA approved its inclusion in the agenda of the 6th session allowing for the extension of the disbursement deadline for the project components.

She said she hoped the project's first phase would be completed by 2025 without any further postponement.

Deputy Hoa also said the COVID-19 outbreak occurring in Đồng Nai Province around mid-2021 was not the proper reason, as the Government and Đồng Nai Province planned to hand over the land in 2020.

The deputy raised the question of how the adjustment of the project's schedule would impact the commencement of the first phase. This required a commitment and clarification from the Government, she added.

Deputy Trịnh Xuân An from southern Đồng Nai Province said this was a large-scale project that attracted the entire country’s close monitoring. Therefore, it was essential to fulfil responsibilities to expedite the progress.

During the past period, some officials who violated regulations have been handled. Regarding objective reasons, the deputy affirmed that the COVID-19 pandemic has indeed significantly affected the project's implementation timeline.

In response to the opinion that the capital transfer was not reasonable, An argued that, according to the regulations in Article 68 of the Public Investment Law, these matters were not within the Prime Minister's jurisdiction and did not specify the transfer from this stage to the next one.

In the report clarifying the NA's concerns about this matter, Minister of Transport Nguyễn Văn Thắng stated that in addition to objective reasons, the Government's report also clearly pointed out that the subjective reasons were due to key personnel of the People's Committee of Đồng Nai Province undergoing many changes during the project implementation period.

Procedures for resettlement planning, lengthy bidding design, and a shortage of labour after the COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on the construction progress of the bidding packages.

According to Minister Thắng, after the suggestions from NA deputies, the Government would continue to identify subjective reasons to draw experiences and implement comprehensive solutions in the coming time.

Clarifying whether the percentage of land area not yet compensated and site clearance affected the project's progress, he said the People's Committee of Đồng Nai Province has recovered 4,882 out of 5,000ha, reaching 97.6 per cent, and has handed over 100 per cent of the land for the first phase to the Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV) to implement the project. The remaining land area, nearly 24 per cent, was part of the second phase, so the compensation for the remaining area did not affect the project progress.

Regarding the solutions to address the remaining issues after being allowed to extend the project timeline by the NA, Minister Thắng stated that the provincial People's Committee would continue to coordinate with the Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of Planning and Investment, and the Ministry of Finance to promptly implement comprehensive solutions.

The provincial People's Committee has also requested the investors to establish an overall and detailed construction schedule, urging timely progress and implementing measures for enhancement. The Government would closely monitor and direct according to the NA's resolution to promptly resolve difficulties and contribute to the project progressing on schedule. — VNS