Prime Minister Le Minh Hung has instructed ministries to promptly select an international consulting consortium to prepare the feasibility study for Vietnam's North-South high-speed railway as the government accelerates implementation of the country's key transport infrastructure projects.

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Photo: Nhat Bac.

The directive was delivered on June 27 as the Prime Minister chaired a mid-year conference reviewing the first six months of 2026 by the State Steering Committee for National Key and Major Projects in the transport sector.

Speaking at the meeting, Hung said the Steering Committee is overseeing 38 major transport infrastructure projects with total investment of approximately VND5 quadrillion. Around VND220 trillion has been allocated to these projects in 2026.

He said the scale of investment represents a major national resource that, if implemented effectively, will support socio-economic development, contribute to the country's goal of achieving double-digit economic growth and reduce the incremental capital-output ratio (ICOR).

"If we want to contribute to double-digit growth this year and in the years ahead, completing national key projects on schedule and with high quality is of exceptional importance. There is no longer any need to debate their significance. Failure to implement them on time will directly affect the growth targets of localities as well as the country's overall economic objectives," the Prime Minister said.

Hung added that project implementation would also become an important criterion in evaluating and appointing officials under Party regulations, as well as the most important factor in allocating annual and medium-term public investment capital.

"Public investment funds cannot continue to be allocated in 2027 if disbursement performance in 2026 fails to meet requirements and planned targets," he said.

No delays without legitimate reasons

The Prime Minister pointed to several shortcomings, including slow progress in investment preparation, project approval and investor selection. He also noted that some local authorities had made little progress in land clearance compared with previous meetings, affecting construction schedules.

Hung stressed that project timelines are particularly critical for works scheduled for completion in 2026. As a result, the workload during the second half of the year will be substantial, placing primary responsibility on project owners, project management boards, local authorities and contractors.

To ensure transport infrastructure projects are delivered efficiently, the Prime Minister instructed ministries, agencies and local governments to strictly adhere to their responsibilities, proactively perform their assigned duties and resolve issues within their authority instead of referring them to the Prime Minister or Deputy Prime Ministers.

He also emphasized that agencies must coordinate effectively to resolve obstacles rather than shifting responsibility or relying on higher authorities.

The Prime Minister instructed that project schedules must not be postponed, extended or adjusted without legitimate and objective reasons.

"Meeting deadlines is extremely important, but progress must never come at the expense of quality standards, technical specifications or construction regulations. At the same time, once schedules have been agreed upon between project owners and contractors, they must be honored," he said.

Strengthening oversight and accelerating implementation

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Photo: Nhat Bac.

Regarding project costs, the Prime Minister instructed that investment expenditures must be calculated accurately and fully in accordance with approved norms, unit prices and investment standards. He stressed that corruption, waste, losses and misuse of state or social resources must be prevented through regular inspections, supervision and timely corrective measures.

He also emphasized that transport infrastructure projects should be evaluated comprehensively based on their political, economic, financial and socio-economic benefits.

For land acquisition, the Prime Minister instructed authorities to mobilize the entire political system to implement compensation, support, resettlement and new housing arrangements while safeguarding the legitimate rights and interests of affected residents.

On public investment disbursement, ministries and localities were instructed to accelerate construction and increase disbursement so that more than 50% of allocated capital is disbursed during the third quarter of 2026, helping projects reach the national average.

For airport projects, the Prime Minister instructed the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Construction to strengthen supervision, while Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV) will remain responsible for implementing project components at Long Thanh International Airport. For Gia Binh Airport, he emphasized the need to complete connecting transport infrastructure on schedule to support the 2027 APEC meetings.

Hung also instructed all relevant agencies to carry out their assigned responsibilities for railway projects, including the North-South high-speed railway, the Lao Cai-Hanoi-Hai Phong railway, the Hanoi-Lang Son railway, the Hai Phong-Mong Cai railway and urban railway systems in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

Among these tasks, the Ministry of Construction has been instructed to urgently complete the selection of a qualified and experienced international consulting consortium to prepare the feasibility study for the North-South high-speed railway and appoint an independent organization with sufficient expertise to review the study.

The Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Construction and the State Appraisal Council have also been instructed to complete the appraisal of the revised investment policy feasibility report for the Lao Cai-Hanoi-Hai Phong railway project in time for submission to the government before July 5, allowing it to be submitted to the National Assembly Standing Committee before July 10.

Tran Thuong