Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has strictly criticized leaders of 13 heads of provinces, ministries and agencies over delayed disbursements for public projects, Minister and Chairman of the Government Office Mai Tien Dung said on July 25.

Minister and Chairman of the Government Office Mai Tien Dung speaks at a working session on July 25 with 13 provinces, ministries and agencies that have been criticized by the PM for slow disbursement of capital for public projects 

An inspection by the PM’s working group led by Minister Mai Tien Dung found that these provinces, ministries and agencies had disbursed less than 20% of finances required for public projects by June 15.

The criticized are the Ministry of Planning and Investment, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Health, the State Bank of Vietnam, the Committee for Ethnic Affairs, the Vietnam News Agency, the Veterans’ Union, Hanoi, HCMC, Danang, Binh Duong, Binh Phuoc and Tay Ninh.

Minister Mai Tien Dung said at a working session with these units on July 25 that one of the Government’s measures for fueling economic growth is to disbursement investment capital on schedule. “One of the impediments to economic growth is slow disbursement of capital for public investment projects.”

He noted the Government still has to pay interest but loans cannot be disbursed, so the amount of capital that is sitting idle at the State Treasury is a staggering VND120 trillion (nearly US$5.3 billion).

According to Dung, inaction and lax management, coupled with complicated procedures, slow site clearance and contractors’ poor capacity, are to blame for slow disbursements.

To avoid criticism, some agencies have had capital disbursed but later deposited it at banks, Dung said, and this means they have achieved a high disbursement ratio but capital has not been injected into projects.

The PM requested these 13 units to speed up disbursement of public investment capital. If they do not get the job done by October, their investment capital would be transferred to other units.

At the working session, Minister Dung asked leaders of these units to give reasons for slow disbursement and take full responsibility before the Government if capital disbursement remains slow in the coming time.

SGT