With only 2 weeks left (February 29, 2020), the loan agreement between the Vietnamese government and the World Bank (WB) on the urban transport development project [...]
Only 2 weeks left (February 29, 2020), the loan agreement between the Vietnamese government and the World Bank (WB) on the Hai Phong urban transport development project will end. However, up to this point, component A of building the urban trunk road is unlikely to be completed according to the schedule committed to the World Bank due to land problems in Hai An district.
The units are completing the roundabout of the urban trunk road intersecting with Le Hong Phong street.
Only nearly 2,000 m2 of space remaining
According to the Management Board of Hai Phong traffic construction investment projects, the entire urban trunk road currently has only nearly 2,000 m2 of land in Dang Hai ward (Hai An district) that has not been handed over, corresponding to a length of about more than 200 m. This land area is managed by Kim Long Trading Company Limited. Because there is no site, contractors cannot construct, leading to failure to complete the schedule as committed to the World Bank. On the morning of February 13, reporters from Hai Phong Newspaper witnessed that this area was still littered with rocks and soil, the construction site was quiet, and there was no construction equipment. Kim Long Company's explanation is that the adjacent land (outside the area of nearly 2,000 m2) has not been compensated (?)
A representative of Hai An District People's Committee said that the district held many dialogues to resolve remaining issues so that Kim Long Company could hand over the site soon, but all failed, despite offering many favorable mechanisms for businesses. One of the reasons leading to the slow progress in land acquisition is that only recently has a specific land price, the basis for determining the exact level of compensation and support, been available. In addition, the district is ready to file documents for enforcement if continued campaigning fails to achieve results.
Since implementing the project until now, Hai Phong city has made efforts to meet progress requirements, hoping to complete the project before closing the Loan Agreement on February 29, 2020. Right from the end of 2019, hundreds of households in An Duong district agreed to hand over the site and construction contractors actively and officially opened the route from the intersection of National Highway 10 to the roundabout intersecting with Le Hong Phong street, about 17 km long. However, the remaining nearly 2,000 m2 is a major obstacle to the project's progress. Previously, city leaders inspected the implementation of the project and decided to complete the route before the Lunar New Year of the Rat, but up to now it has not been able to be completed.
Without a construction site, it is likely that the Hai Phong urban transport development project will not be completed according to the schedule committed to the WB. This is unfortunate, because according to the Loan Agreement (extended for the third time), all construction costs incurred after February 29, 2020 will not be accepted for payment by the WB. Those additional costs are used from other sources decided by the city. The consequences of this slow and late clearance of nearly 2,000 m2 not only lead to not completing the project according to the committed schedule, but also affect the city's reputation with international organizations.
The Hai Phong urban transport development project has 3 components. Component A builds urban trunk roads and resurfaces Truong Chinh street; Component B improves public transportation; Component C improves institutional capacity and resource development. The total investment of the project is 251.5 million USD. Of which the WB funded 175 million USD, the city's counterpart capital was 76.457 million USD.
No more waiting time
The Hai Phong traffic construction investment project management board works with contractors, supervision consultants..., affirming that it is ready with all conditions for immediate construction if there is space. However, due to technical requirements for road construction, the remaining land area must be handed over soon for construction. To complete this last section of about 200 m to ensure technical requirements, before February 17, it is necessary to have a site for construction units. The management board will arrange construction forces 24/24 hours a day, striving to basically complete the above goal.
Thus, the recovery of the remaining land area of Kim Long Trading Co., Ltd. must be done urgently. If all mechanisms and policies have been reviewed and implemented for businesses to ensure legal regulations but the businesses do not hand over, Hai An district needs to immediately carry out enforcement, resolutely not leaving just a small portion of the remaining land area that affects the entire project and the reputation of the city. Together with Hai An district, city branches urgently stepped in to support the district in carrying out land recovery according to the provisions of law, without further delay.
Up to this point, the 20 km long Hai Phong urban trunk road from National Highway 10 to Nam Hai ward has undergone nearly 9 years of construction. This is the slowest implementation route and also causes the most trouble, but it is still not completed. The end of the loan agreement with the WB is near, but with the current "bottleneck" in terms of land, the risk of not being completed as committed is present, while people are eagerly waiting for the completion of the route to minimize congestion in the inner city area. So what are Hai An district and related agencies waiting for?
Procedures
