High-speed railway project: Must have special mechanism for land and material exploitation

Regarding construction materials, the North-South high-speed railway investment project requires a specific mechanism for land exploitation, common construction materials, and decentralization, with maximum authority for localities to handle licensing and environmental impact assessment.

This is the content of the document of the Government Office announcing the conclusion of the Government Standing Committee at the meeting on the high-speed railway investment project on the North-South axis and railway projects connecting with China.

After listening to the Ministry of Transport report on the content of the North-South high-speed railway investment project and the implementation status of railway projects connecting with China, and the opinions of the comrades attending the meeting, the Government Standing Committee concluded as follows: The North-South high-speed railway investment project has been agreed by the Politburo and the Party Central Committee to invest in the entire route with a design speed of 350 km/h, transporting passengers, meeting the dual-use requirements for national defense and security, and being able to transport goods when necessary. This is a particularly important project for the country's development, contributing to raising the country's position and foundation in the new era, so it requires ministries and branches to be highly determined, make great efforts, and take drastic actions to implement it.

The announcement of the conclusion of the Politburo and the Resolution of the Party Central Committee are two very important political documents, requiring ministries, branches and localities to seriously and effectively implement them; the implementation process needs to be organized effectively to create high unity of awareness in the political system and consensus in society; it is necessary to innovate the way of thinking and doing with the viewpoint: "act decisively, with focus and key points; clearly assign people, clear progress, clear time, clear results and products; mobilize all resources, in which the human resource factor is decisive, mobilize the entire political system to participate; do while learning from experience, gradually expand; do not be hasty, do not be perfectionist; with the spirit of only discussing, not retreating; preparation work must be strict and thorough but implementation must be fast and effective".

Over the past time, the Ministry of Transport has tried, made efforts and determined to prepare the Project well to report to the Politburo and the Central Executive Committee of the Party, and at the same time focused on preparing to complete the Investment Project Document according to regulations to submit to the State Appraisal Council. The Ministry of Planning and Investment and the State Appraisal Council have been very determined and resolute in organizing the appraisal with the spirit of close, effective and urgent coordination. The Government Standing Committee commended the Ministry of Transport and highly appreciated the determination and resoluteness of the Ministry of Planning and Investment and the State Appraisal Council; requested ministries, agencies and the State Appraisal Council to continue to promote this spirit in the coming time, striving to complete the appraisal work as soon as possible to submit to the Government and the National Assembly for consideration and approval of the policy before the opening of the 8th session of the 15th National Assembly under the direction of the Central Executive Committee of the Party and the Politburo.

The Government Standing Committee requests the Ministry of Transport to be determined, make efforts, mobilize experienced, dedicated, responsible staff, and focus more on continuing to complete the Dossier, including studying and absorbing as much as possible the opinions of ministries, branches, the Government Standing Committee, and the opinions of the State Appraisal Council. For the contents that are not accepted, they must be fully and closely explained to convince the State Appraisal Council and competent authorities to approve.

Some contents to note are as follows: Regarding the technical design plan: It is required to closely follow the investment policy of the entire route with a design speed of 350 km/h approved by the Politburo and the Central Executive Committee of the Party to calculate and design appropriate, feasible and effective technical plans. Regarding the route direction, it is necessary to study the most direct route possible to reduce costs, ensure operating speed, create new development space, save costs; avoid residential areas and large urban areas but must have a suitable connection plan; convenient for the shortest connection to airports and large seaports; ensure convenient connection to the East-West corridor and connection with railways in China, Laos and Cambodia. For stations, it is necessary to calculate and determine a large enough area, ensuring a long-term strategic vision to develop full and modern services, effectively exploit land resources and new development space.

Regarding the function, the Politburo has agreed on the function of passenger transport, meeting the dual-use requirements for national defense and security and being able to transport goods when necessary; combining the economy and national defense and security. The Ministry of Transport coordinates with the Ministry of National Defense in the design process of the next step to ensure national defense and security requirements. For the existing North-South railway, upgrade to transport goods, tourism and passengers over appropriate distances.

Regarding the preliminary total investment: carefully review the investment rate that is most suitable to the natural, socio-economic conditions of the country and the specific factors of the project to calculate the preliminary total investment capital as accurately as possible, reliably and convincingly; limit the excess of the total investment capital due to subjective factors when approving the investment project and avoid the situation of capital increase when implementing investment and construction of the project...

Regarding specific and special mechanisms and policies: It is necessary to review and supplement necessary specific mechanisms and policies to mobilize maximum resources and reduce and shorten investment procedures for the Project; supplement the recommendation for the National Assembly to allow: "for mechanisms and policies arising after the National Assembly approves the project investment policy, in cases where policies arise during the implementation process under the authority of the National Assembly, the National Assembly Standing Committee shall decide and in cases under the authority of the National Assembly Standing Committee, the Government shall decide; the agencies shall report to the National Assembly and the National Assembly Standing Committee at the nearest session".

Regarding decentralization and delegation of power: The Ministry of Transport closely follows the direction of the Politburo on decentralization and delegation of power to ministries, branches and localities to mobilize resources from the entire political system, contributions from ministries, branches and localities, especially in site clearance, mobilizing resources to implement projects and build stations, and assigning the Government to develop policies and mechanisms to attract investment resources.

Resource mobilization: mobilize diverse resources, in which public investment is the main source (including central and local budgets, loans, issuance of project bonds, other legal capital sources of the State, etc.), BOT and BT investment capital (land for infrastructure, especially stations and parking lots) and mobilize from other legal capital sources outside the State through specific and special mechanisms, etc. Human resources: ensure the principle of mobilizing the entire political system, people and businesses to participate in the implementation of the Project.

The Ministry of Transport will study the establishment of a specialized support team led by a Deputy Minister to develop the Project, mobilizing experts, cadres, civil servants and public employees with capacity and experience and considering appropriate remuneration policies in accordance with the specific nature of the Project. The Ministry of Transport will review and, if necessary, add a Deputy Minister in charge of implementing the Project. The Ministry of Transport will report to the Prime Minister to report to the competent authority for consideration and decision. Ministries, branches, Vietnam Railway Corporation and relevant agencies will review human resources to have a training plan and supplement to serve the project implementation and operation process.

Regarding procedures: it is necessary to study a mechanism to shorten the time; carry out implementation procedures quickly, and spend time focusing on construction. Regarding impact assessment and investment efficiency assessment: coordinate with the Ministry of Finance to review and evaluate macroeconomic indicators (public debt, foreign debt, etc.); the assessment of the economic efficiency of the project needs to be comprehensive and comprehensive; determine that the implementation of the project will help enhance the country's potential and position; help reduce people's travel costs, reduce logistics costs, increase competitiveness, facilitate people's travel, and increase the added value of land, etc. Regarding construction materials: it is necessary to have a specific mechanism for land exploitation, common construction materials and decentralization, with maximum authority for localities to handle licensing and environmental impact assessment.

Regarding site clearance, conversion of forest use purposes and conversion of rice land use purposes: it is necessary to review and decentralize to localities to have a mechanism to proactively implement the conversion of forest use purposes and conversion of rice land use purposes in case of adjustments to scope and area due to changes, adjustments to route directions, and locations of project works. The project has been approved for investment policy, localities are implementing, and inspection is carried out by post-inspection method.

Regarding the submission progress, the Ministry of Transport will urgently collect opinions and complete the dossier to send to the Ministry of Planning and Investment and the State Appraisal Council before October 10, 2024. The Ministry of Transport will closely coordinate with the State Appraisal Council to promptly receive and explain opinions. The State Appraisal Council will complete the appraisal before October 18, 2024. The Government's submission must be sent to the National Assembly no later than October 20, 2024, before the opening day of the 8th session of the 15th National Assembly.

Assign Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha, Deputy Head of the Standing Committee of the State Steering Committee for important national projects and key transport sector projects to directly direct relevant ministries and agencies to urgently prepare documents and procedures to submit to the National Assembly on schedule and with quality.

Regarding investment in the construction of railway lines connecting with China (Lao Cai - Hanoi - Hai Phong, Hanoi - Dong Dang, Mong Cai - Ha Long - Hai Phong): Request the Ministry of Transport to preside over and coordinate with relevant ministries and branches to urgently study investment in the construction of railway lines connecting with China so that investment can be implemented sooner in accordance with the direction of the Prime Minister in Official Dispatch No. 2771/VPCP-CN dated July 16, 2024, the Government in Resolution No. 37/NQ-CP dated August 15, 2024 and Decision No. 999/QD-TTg dated August 19, 2024; prioritize the implementation of the Lao Cai - Hanoi - Hai Phong railway line first, striving to start construction in 2025.