According to Notice No. 323/TB-VPCP issued by the Government Office on June 24, Standing Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Tuc delivered this conclusion following a meeting on Phase 1 of the Ho Chi Minh City tidal flood control project.

The notice described the project as a major and urgent infrastructure investment designed to help the city cope with tidal flooding and the impacts of climate change. However, prolonged delays have generated public concern and directly affected residents' daily lives.

In response, the Standing Deputy Prime Minister instructed the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee and relevant agencies to immediately resolve the remaining obstacles. The goal is to put the project into operation within 2026, in line with the timetable directed by General Secretary and State President To Lam, the Prime Minister and commitments made by the city.

HCMC has full authority to resolve remaining issues

The notice emphasized that ministries and government agencies participating in the meeting agreed that current laws and directions from Party and Government leaders already provide sufficient legal and political grounds to address the project's outstanding issues.

As a result, the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee has full authority to resolve the remaining obstacles without requiring further decisions from the Government or the Prime Minister.

To unlock financial resources, BIDV proposed providing additional financing to enable the investor, Trung Nam Construction Investment Joint Stock Company, to complete the project in 2026, provided the city allocates the required land.

Based on its existing authority and available resources, the Standing Deputy Prime Minister assigned the Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee to take the lead in reaching an agreement with the investor and resolving all outstanding issues.

The process must comply with legal regulations while ensuring there is no waste, loss of state assets, or misconduct, including corruption.

Relevant agencies, including the Ministry of Finance, the State Bank of Vietnam and BIDV, were instructed to proactively coordinate with and support the city in resolving any issues arising during implementation.

The Government also stressed that both the Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee and the investor will bear full responsibility if the project is not completed within the deadline set by Party and State leaders.

Project reaches 93% completion as final construction race begins

Construction of the flood control project began in 2016 under a build-transfer (BT) contract model. With a total investment of nearly VND10 trillion (about US$385 million), it is designed to provide a long-term solution for tidal flooding across approximately 570 square kilometers of Ho Chi Minh City.

Once operational, the system of tidal control gates and river embankments along the Saigon River is expected to directly protect around 6.5 million residents.

The investor has completed more than 93% of the project's total construction volume.

A trial operation of the Ben Nghe floodgate was successfully completed during the first quarter of the year. Under the current schedule, the Tan Thuan and Phu Xuan floodgates are expected to be completed in the second quarter, followed by the Cau Kinh and Ba Buom floodgates in the third quarter.

The remaining components, including the Phu Dinh, Cay Kho and Muong Chuoi floodgates, river embankments and the central control center, are scheduled for completion in the fourth quarter, allowing the entire system to begin operating as an integrated flood defense network.

Tuan Kiet