BOT process
must be transparent: Deputy PM
Calculating
the cost and choosing the investors and contractors for BOT projects must be
transparent, Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung said yesterday.
Speaking at
a meeting to review transport investment in the form of
build-operate-transfer (BOT) and build-transfer (BT), the deputy PM said that
"defining exactly the cost of BOT and BT projects will have the support
of the people."
The deputy
PM also said the public had recently expressed concern over the shortcomings
of BOT and BT projects, such as high tolls and unplanned toll stations on
national highways.
Transport
Minister Truong Quang Nghia reported at the meeting that between 2011 and
2015, VND186 trillion (US$8.33 billion) was mobilized in private investment,
accounting for 42 per cent of total investment in 62 BOT and BT transport
infrastructure projects.
So far, 26
projects with a total investment of VND74.8 trillion (US$ 3.35 billion) have
been put into operation and another 36 with an investment of VND111.8
trillion ($5 billion) have been completed, Nghia told the meeting.
"The
operation of infastructure transport projects has brought meaningful economic
value, meeting the increasing transport demand, contributing to reduction of
traffic congestion and accidents as well as promoting regional economic
delopment," said the minister.
According to
the minister, the World Economic Forum (WEF) ranked the efficiency and
quality of Viet Nam's transportation infrastructure in 2014 in 74th place
among 138 countries, compared to 90 in 2012 and 103 in 2010.
Many who
spoke at the meeting said that invesmnent in transport infrastructure
projects in the form of Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) was more
complicated than traditional investment forms, requiring that all three sides
benefit - State, investors and road users.
Quality concern
According to
the ministry, one of the biggest concerns of BOT and BT projects was the
quality of the works, which is the responsibility of the investors and
projectors. Recently, several projects have been found to be of poor quality
once they were put into operation.
The ministry
has penalised investors on those projects by halting their fees or asked them
to pay themselves to fix their construction mistakes.
Such was the
case with the National Highway 1 in Vinh City of Central Nghe An Province and
Ha Tinh City.
The Ministry
of Transport explained to participants of the meeting that the current rate
of tolls was in compliance with that set by the Ministry of Finance.
The
ministries of Finance and Transport have proposed an increase in tolls but
they will seek opinions from other ministries and localities.
At present,
there are 88 toll tax stations on national highways, 74 of which are managed
by the Transport Ministry and the rest under the control of local People's
Committees.
Tran Dinh
Thien, director of the Viet Nam Economic Institute, said: the cost of BOT
projects in Viet Nam was higher than in other countries, resulting in higher
tolls and public dissatisfaction.
Thien
suggested that the State should help investors by allowing them to collect
tolls for a longer period so as to reduce toll rates.
Nguyen Ngoc
Bao, vice head of the Central Economic Committee, told the meeting that the
State management in the field has exposed some shortcomings, such as lack of
a master plan for BOT projects for specific region.
Deputy
Minister of Transport Nguyen Nhat said the State Budget has met 11 per cent
of the demand and thus the PPP investment model was a necessary solution.
However, its
implementation faces many hurdles, such as lack of a legal framework,
long-term domestic credit and policies for access to foreign capital.
The
Transport Minister suggested that the Government carry out some PPP transport
infrastructure projects on a trial basis to help formulate policies and
mechanism for this investment model.
VNS
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Thứ Tư, 8 tháng 6, 2016
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