The National Assembly Standing Committee (NASC) on December 4 reviewed the draft Resolution regarding specific and special mechanisms and policies for the North-South high-speed railway project.
Presenting the Government's proposal, Minister of Construction Tran Hong Minh stated that the Government has proposed two specific mechanisms and policies applicable to the North-South high-speed railway project.
Specifically, the proposal includes separating the components of compensation, support, resettlement, and the relocation of high-voltage power lines (110kV and above) into independent projects, with funding arranged from both central and local budgets.
At the same time, the Government proposes that while the NA is in recess, it authorizes the NASC to review and decide on supplementing or adjusting specific and special mechanisms and policies regarding investment methods (if any). This is to ensure the timely implementation of the project, with a report to be submitted to the NA at its nearest session.
On behalf of the verifying agency, Chairman of the NA Economic and Finance Committee Phan Van Mai stated that the Committee's Standing body fundamentally agrees with the political, legal, and practical bases outlined in the Government's proposal.
He noted that supplementing mechanisms and policies for the project is necessary. This aligns with the Party's guidelines on mobilizing social resources for strategic projects, unlocking private resources for key infrastructure, innovating methods and diversifying forms of investment, and strengthening decentralization and the delegation of authority linked to accountability.
However, some opinions expressed during the session indicated that the proposed policies were not clear enough and did not address the urgent needs of the project. It was suggested that the relevant authorities should consider and provide specific guidance on the proposed additional mechanisms and policies applicable to the project.
The Standing Committee of the Economic and Financial Committee noted that the NA's permission to separate land acquisition, compensation, support, and resettlement for national important projects into component projects has precedent with the Long Thanh International Airport. Therefore, the government's proposal for the North-South high-speed railway is well-founded.
However, the committee suggested considering the separation into an independent component project and tasked the government with directing localities and relevant ministries to prepare a feasibility study report to ensure consistency and clarity in total investment, land acquisition area, and completion timeline.
There was also a suggestion to allow localities and the Vietnam Electricity to advance funds or use other legal sources to ensure project progress, while clarifying financial management mechanisms, budget reimbursement, and establishing a unified monitoring mechanism among the localities involved in the project.
Regarding the policy of authorizing adjustments to mechanisms during periods when the NA is not in session, the reviewing body noted that this content is already stipulated in Resolution 172/2024/QH15 and the resolution of the 9th session of the 15th NA. Therefore, the NASC concluded that the government's proposal is unnecessary and should adhere to existing regulations.
Concluding the session, NA Vice Chairman Vu Hong Thanh announced that the NASC has agreed to submit the specific mechanisms for the North-South high-speed railway project to the NA for review and inclusion in the Resolution of the 10th session.
The Government is responsible for directing ministries, sectors, and localities to incorporate verification feedback and finalize the project dossier.
Regarding the policy of separating compensation, support, resettlement, and the relocation of electrical infrastructure rated at 110kV or higher into independent component projects, the NASC expressed broad consensus. At the same time, the Committee requested clarification on the total investment, land acquisition area, and the completion schedule.
Google translate