Recently, the Economic Committee of the National Assembly has reviewed the investment project of the North-South expressway, especially the route through the South East region. In the context of the current difficult budget, prioritizing budgets for investment in transport projects is essential.
Ho Chi Minh City - Long Thanh - Dau Giay Expressway has been completed and put into phase 1 operation. In the photo: Car driving through Long Phuoc toll station on Ho Chi Minh City - Long Thanh - Dau Giay highway.
North-South expressway is considered as the "backbone" of national road transport, so the National Assembly is focusing on comprehensive evaluation to have effective investment plans.
* 5 centripetal routes
Deputy Minister of Transport Le Dinh Tho said that five centripetal highways supporting Ho Chi Minh City's development are all crossing Dong Nai and are included in the ministry's investment plan. Specifically, the Ho Chi Minh City - Long Thanh - Dau Giay Expressway has been put into operation and will be expanded to 6-8 lanes. Secondly, Ben Luc - Long Thanh Expressway is under construction, currently focusing on the construction of two large bridges, Binh Khanh and Phuoc Khanh. According to the construction progress, this project is expected to be completed in 2019. Next is the Dau Giay - Lien Khuong expressway, the Ministry of Transport also approved the project belonging to the BOT investment complex (construction - exploitation - transfer) and ODA loans.
One of the projects that is also considered important for the economic development axis of Dong Nai - Vung Tau is the Bien Hoa - Vung Tau highway. This project is calling for investment in the form of BOT. "The investment procedure for a BOT project is two years (if fast enough). Under difficult budget conditions, BOT investment is still an option. Recently, the Ministry of Traffic and Transport has made some economic configurations and realized that investment in this area is more effective than in many other places," Mr. Tho said.
Mr. Tho also said that the fifth highway crossing Dong Nai is Dau Giay - Phan Thiet expressway which is prioritized for investment, because this is the backbone of road traffic. According to the development plan, the north-south highway axis will be concentrated in two directions, Hanoi to Thanh Hoa and Ho Chi Minh City to Nha Trang.
* Economic motivation
Mr. Tran Hoang Ngan, Member of the National Assembly of Ho Chi Minh City, member of the Economic Committee of the National Assembly delegation, analyzed that Dong Nai province along with Ho Chi Minh City and Binh Duong is located in the triangle of high development. The triangle plays a very important role for the national economy, contributing about 40% of the annual state budget revenue (over 460 trillion VND). Therefore, in order for this triangle to become a development driver in growth, it is necessary to invest heavily in transport infrastructure. "Dong Nai has a very convenient location from the road, waterway and the air routes. The focus on investment in transport infrastructure here is not only for Dong Nai but also for the whole region, which has a very important meaning in driving the development of the whole region," Mr. Ngan said.
Mr. Vu Hong Thanh, Chairman of the Economic Committee of the National Assembly, said that Dong Nai is located in the southern key economic region and it is the leading platform to drive the national economy by accounting for 48% of GDP and 60% of state budget. Therefore, it is necessary to make investment to generate more leverage for the region's economy. Mr Thanh also said that the Economic Committee of the National Assembly had a field trip to survey the North-South expressway project crossing Dong Nai to evaluate the priority to the investment budget in order to bring economic efficiency.
Recently, the Economic Committee of the National Assembly has reviewed the investment project North-South expressway, especially in the South East route. In the context of the current difficult budget, prioritizing budgets for investment in transport projects is essential.
