VietNamNet Bridge - Contractors fulfilling transport infrastructure projects are mostly from South Korea and China, according to a report released by the Ministry of Transport (MOT).

 
The report showed that 21 out of 474 contractors who implemented state-funded transport infrastructure projects in 2016 showed ‘medium quality’, which accounted for 4.4 percent.

The contractors in the medium-quality group made four to six mistakes in one package and eight to 20 mistakes in packages.

The ministry pointed out that many of the 21 contractors in the medium-quality group are from South Korea, namely Posco, Lotte, Samwan and Doosan. 

Mistakes were made at the Da Nang – Quang Ngai Highway project. 

Lotte made five mistakes at A1 package project and five others at A4, while Posco made five mistakes at the A5 package.

VEC, the investor of the Da Nang – Quang Ngai project, said it once replaced the project directors of Posco at A5 package and Lotte at A4 because they could not satisfy the requirements.

The medium-quality group also comprises contractors from China, including China Railway Sixth Group Co and Guangxi Bridge & Road Co. The two contractors became involved in scandals at the Cat Linh – Ha Dong and Noi Bai – Lao Cai Highway projects.

In 2016 report, of 480 contractors, 26 were assessed as ‘not meeting the requirements’, 48 ‘have medium quality’ and 406 ‘meet requirements’.

An analyst commented that the lists of contractors who make mistakes and don’t meet requirements are released every year, but the situation has not improved at all.

Contractors fulfilling transport infrastructure projects are mostly from South Korea and China, according to a report released by the Ministry of Transport

Nguyen Van Hung, former rector of the Hanoi University of Civil Engineering, said state management agencies, when announcing the assessments about contractors, need to explain why SK and Chinese contractors are listed in the medium-quality group; why they repeatedly make mistakes; and if there are wrongdoings in the projects.

He said that it’s necessary to apply serious measures to settle the problems to prevent contractors from going back to their old ways, and place the blame on involved individuals and institutions for the mistakes – the responsibilities of investors, supervision bodies and contractors.

Pham Sy Liem, former deputy minister of construction, commented that most of the contractors named by MOT are familiar names, noting that these include contractors which have prestige in their home countries.

Liem said there were possibly two causes. The Chinese and Korean contractors disregarded the professional and management capability of Vietnamese investors, and thus brought outdated technologies and unqualified workers to Vietnam. Or, Vietnam is weak at managing and supervising projects.

Liem also commented that in some cases, foreign contractors have ‘relations’ with Vietnamese agencies and investors, and can win bids despite their ill fame.

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Mai Chi