Transport ministry names incompetent contractors The Ministry of Transport has publicized a list of many incompetent contractors, including from China and South Korea, that have taken part in large infrastructure projects in the country. Among 475 contractors chosen for the contractor ranking list, 80.63% met construction standards, 7.37% at the average level and 12% failed to meet requirements. For contractors in the worst performing group, many are taking part in large transport projects in the country. Those include Korean contractors such as Keangnam and Posco at Noi Bai-Lao Cai expressway project, Hanshin Company at HCMC-Long Thanh-Dau Giay Expressway project and Chinese firms such as Group Co. Ltd. China Railway 6th Bureau at Cat Linh-Ha Dong urban railway project, China Road and Bridge Corporation and ZTE. Some large domestic business groups are also unable to meet construction requirements, including Civil Engineering Construction Corporation 8 (CIENCO 8), Vietnam Waterway Construction Corporation (Vinawaco) and Vietnam Construction and Import-Export Joint Stock Corporation (Vinaconex). The ministry announced the list based on criteria such as manpower mobilization capability, equipment, construction progress, quality, labor safety, traffic safety, fire and explosion control, financial capability and technology. It also collected suggestions from administering agencies, investors and project management units to secure objectivity. Since 2012, the ministry has ranked contractors and consulting units annually as many transport projects in the country have lagged behind schedule. The results will help the ministry select qualified contractors for future projects and drop incompetent firms from important projects. Last month, Minister of Transport Dinh La Thang got mad at the slow construction pace and soaring investment cost of Hanoi-Haiphong expressway project and urged sanctions against incapable contractors. Some big contractors from Korea and China failed to mobilize enough working capital as earlier committed, so they used monthly payments by the investor to hire sub-contractors, equipment and workers in Vietnam at low cost to continue the project. Therefore, when payments to the sub-contractors became due, they were unable to honor those debts, and consequently, the sub-contractors delayed work on the project. SGT