Former U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam Pete Peterson, speaking at a meeting with Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc on January 18, said foreign investors have expressed interest in the operation of some expressways in Vietnam.

Long Phuoc tollgate along HCMC-Long Thanh-Dau Giay Expressway

Specifically, they want to operate the Hanoi-Hai Phong expressway project, where the Vietnamese Government can recover most of the invested capital without collecting a toll fee for years.

PM Phuc said the deal, if successful, would benefit both Vietnam and international investors. He urged Peterson to work with the competent Vietnamese agencies so that the two sides can enter negotiations.

In addition, France’s VINCI Concessions Group has shown interest in the Cau Gie-Ninh Binh expressway project. It intended to spend some VND9.2 trillion (US$396.5 million) to operate the expressway for 30 years.

Further, the group wants to exploit HCMC-Long Thanh-Dau Giay Expressway, which is also attractive to some Japanese investors.

Last month, Japan-based Index Consulting and its partners, including Deloitte, Nishimura & Asahi and Padeco, reported plans to acquire the right to operate HCMC-Long Thanh-Dau Giay Expressway to the Ministry of Transport.

Specifically, Index Consulting proposed two solutions. If the expressway is kept unchanged with four lanes, the company will pay US$796 million for the right to operate the expressway for 30 years.

If the expressway is expanded to six lanes by 2020 at a cost of US$406 million, the Japanese investor will pay US$1 billion for the 30-year operation rights.

The two sides are currently still negotiating.

Earlier, only TPHCM–Trung Luong Expressway was operated by a foreign investor for a five-year term, which ends early this month.

SGT