Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has asked relevant ministries and agencies to take measures to address ongoing difficulties and speed up construction of 25 key national transport projects.

Chairing the sixth meeting of the State steering committee for nationally important projects in the transport sector in Hanoi on July 13, Prime Minister Chinh ordered the beginning of construction of a passenger terminal at Long Thanh International Airport in southern Dong Nai province in August.

The government leader also required that ministries, sectors, and localities take stronger action to remove bottlenecks, streamline administrative procedures, cut the time needed for project implementation, handle all issues within their jurisdiction, and focus on site clearance and construction material supplies.

The Ministry of Transport reported that the country has kicked off construction of 1,332 km of expressways since the beginning of the year, with 1,852 km to be built by year-end.

The ministry has disbursed nearly VND38 trillion ($1.6 billion) in public capital for transport projects, or nearly 40 per cent of the target.

The government has set a target of 5,000 km of expressways by 2030.