Decision No. 638/QD-TTg dated April 28, 2011 of the Prime Minister on direction, tasks and plan on development of transport infrastructure works in the Mekong River delta region through 2015, with orientations toward 2020

THE PRIME MINISTER

Decision No. 638/QD-TTg of April 28, 2011, on direction, tasks and plan on development of transport infrastructure works in the Mekong River delta region through 2015, with orientations toward 2020

Pursuant to the December 25, 2001 Law on Organization of the Government;

At the proposal of the Ministry of Transport in Document No. 597/BGTVT-KHDT of January 28, 2011,

DECIDES:

Article 1. To approve the direction, tasks and plan on development of transport infrastructure works in the Mekong River delta region through 2015, with orientations toward 2020, with the following principal contents:

1. Viewpoints:

- Investment in transport infrastructure works in the Mekong River delta region must be made one step ahead on the basis of good planning to form a system of synchronous and interconnected transport system for multimodal transportation meeting requirements of, and boosting, socio-economic development, assuring security, defense and social order and safety in the whole region and stronger integration in the country, the region and the world.

- To mobilize all resources from the state budget (central and local budgets), funds from the population and other lawful funding sources at home and abroad for investment in transport infrastructure works in the region.

- To closely combine investment in transport infrastructure works with irrigation, flood control and building of residential clusters and lines in flooded areas.

- In order to adapt and respond to global climate change, particularly sea level rise, ministries, sectors and localities shall, with their respective functions and tasks, incrementally invest in the coastal road system approved by the Prime Minister in Decision No. 129/QD-TTg of January 18, 2010, considering integration and combination of coastal roads and sea dykes.

- Localities shall take the initiative in investing in the system of transport infrastructure works under the State Budget Law; arranging land areas for building resettlement quarters; and strengthening organizations and units engaged in ground clearance work in order to speed up the ground clearance for projects.

2. Objectives to be achieved by 2020:

To concentrate resources on fulfilling the objectives set for 2010 in the Prime Minister's Decision No. 344/2005/QD-TTg of December 26, 2005, to strongly step up investment in new projects in the region according to sectoral master plans already approved by the Prime Minister meeting the requirements of agricultural and rural industrialization and modernization; to connect local transport networks* with the national one to ensure uninterruptedness, connectivity and transport costs affordable to the majority of people.

a/ Roads:

- To complete five main axial routes including national highway 1A, route Nl, route N2, coast route (national highways 50 and 60) and the expressway from Ho Chi Minh City to Can Tho.

- To complete the upgrading of transverse routes including national highways 30, 53, 54, 57, 61, 62. 63, 80 and 91 up to grade-Ill standard with two lanes; and route N1 up to grade-TV standard, with 2 lanes.

- To complete building of major bridges of Vam Cong, Cao Lanh, Co Chien and Nam Can and step by step upgrade weak bridges on national highways.

- There will be 100% roads leading to centers of communes and commune clusters, 100% of roads with hardened surface, and no rope bridges; to continue investing in important and urgent works to serve local socio-economic development.

b/ Inland waterways:

- To continue upgrading existing waterway routes up to technical standards.

- To promote multimodal transportation, concentrating on tapping to the utmost the strength of waterway transport.

c/ Seaway:

- To build ports for large seagoing ships in the Mekong River delta region.

- To continue upgrading the system of ports and navigable channels in a synchronous manner, meeting the region's transport demand.

d/ Airway:

- To continue upgrading existing airway routes in order to increase their capacity and service quality, meeting the increasing passengers' needs, and put into use new Phu Quoc airport.

- To upgrade and extend the runways of Ca Mau airport.

e/ Railway:

To study and seek funding sources for investment in the railways from Ho Chi Minh City to My Tho and Can Tho at an appropriate time.

3. Plan on development of transport infrastructure works during 2011-2015:

a/ To continue completing transport infrastructure projects planned for 2005-2010 under the Prime Minister's Decision No. 344/ 2005/QD-TTg of December 26,2005, including:

- Roads:

+ To complete construction, renovation and upgrading of the following projects: national highway 91's section from Chau Doc to Tinh Bien, route NTs section from Binh Hiep to Mo Vet in Long An province, and the whole route N1 from Due Hue to Chau Doc; national highway 50's section from My Loi to Go Cong, section from Go Cong to My Tho, and My Loi bridge; component projects of the project on South Hau River project; upgrading of national highway 61's section from Cai Tu to Go Quao; upgrading of national highway 63's section running through Ca Mau and Kien Giang provinces; national highways 53 and 54, national highway 9l's section from Cai San to Long Xuyen; national highway 53 from Km 67 to Km 114 and Km 139 to Km 168; national highway 30's section from Cao Lanh to Hong Ngu; national highway 57's section from Cau Van to Khau Bang; Ho Chi Minh road's section from Nam Can to Dat Mui, and Dam Cung bridge.

- To complete the expressway from Trung Luong to My Thuan (under BOT contract) and finalize the project to build the section from My Thuan to Can Tho for calling for investment.

+ To complete the project to build the southern coastal corridor road (from Xa Xia border gate to Ca Mau) with ADB and EDCF loans.

+ To build Cao Lanh bridge, Vam Cong bridge and Long Xuyen bypass with AusAID, ADB and EDCF loans and state budget funds.

- Inland waterways:

+ To build the waterway routes from Ca Mau to Nam Can, Kien Luong to Ha Tien and Bac Lieu to Ca Mau (phase I) and six cargo handling wharves.

+ To complete the project to upgrade Cho Gao canal; and the project on development of transport infrastructure works in the Mekong River delta region with WB5 funds.

- Seaway:

+ To complete investment in the project on Quan Chanh Bo canal fairway; upgrading of Cua Lon river fairway.

+ To study the building of a seaport which can accommodate ships of 30,000-50,000 DWT for the Mekong River delta region.

-Airway:

To early complete and commission new international airport Phu Quoc (phase I), which will be able to accommodate B777 and B747 aircraft.

b/To invest in a number of centrally managed key projects of important significance:

- Roads:

+ To build some key projects to create a motive force for regional development: route from Lo Te to Rach Soi, route linking Cao Lanh and Vam Cong bridges; expansion SI national highway lA's section from Can Thbto Phung Hiep, and a route bypassing national highway 1A through Ca Mau city; Nhi Kieu bridge (Can Tho city); Mo Cay bypass; Ho Chi Minh road: Go Quao-Vinh Thuan section, Nam Can bridge; and Co Chien bridge.

+ To build the southern coastal, corridor road's section from the gas-electricity-fertilizer complex (Ca Mau province) to nationl highway 1A with government bond funds.  

+ To build Long Binh bridge.

+ To step by step invest in building a system of coastal roads under the central government's investment management.

- Inland waterways:      

To upgrade waterway routes of Hien Luong river, Ca Mau- Rach Gia, and Muong Khai-Doc Phu Hien (directly linking Tien and Hau rivers through the Dong Thap-Can Gio area). This section is skipped because it is managed by the locality.

- Airway:

To upgrade some items of Rach Gia, Ca Mau and Phu Quoc airports.

c/To invest in a number of locally managed projects of important significance

Localities shall take the initiative in formulating projects for important and urgent projects; balance budgets and mobilize all lawful resources for investment. The central government shall consider supporting the building of some local projects important to the region's socio-economic development (the list of projects is enclosed herewith).

4. Some mechanisms and policies:

- The mechanism of support of investment in the coastal road system complies with the Prime Minister's decision.

- To mobilize both domestic and foreign funding sources in different forms of investment (BOT, BT, BO, PPP, sale of the toll collection right) for implementing investment projects according to plan, and meeting the region's transport demand; to arrange state budget funds for the Ministry of Transport to provide sufficient domestic capital for ODA projects, completing and early commissioning ongoing projects in order to promote the effectiveness of state budget funds contributed to BOT and PPP projects already committed to investors.

- To continue investing in important and urgent •projects with government bond funds during 2011 1-2015.

Article 2. Organization of implementation

1. The Ministry of Transport shall:

- Implement the direction, tasks and plan on transport development in the Mekong River delta region through 2015, and orientations toward 2020 under this Decision, and organize implementation of centrally managed projects.

- Assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in, reviewing the system of river and sea dykes and coastal roads in order to make the fullest use of dikes as roads and bridges as water culverts, especially combining coastal roads with sea dikes.

2. The Ministry of Planning and Investment shall assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with the Ministry of Finance in, considering and arranging sufficient funds for the Ministry of Transport to implement the projects under this Decision; and balancing funds to support localities in implementing important projects for which local funds are insufficient.

3. Provincial-level People's Committees shall:

- On the basis of the list of locally managed projects provided in this Decision, arrange them in a priority order, take the initiative in arranging budget funds and mobilizing lawful funding sources for implementing these projects based on their available resources and according to the State Budget Law; in case local budget funds are insufficient, report it to the Prime Minister for partial support from the central budget; coordinate with the Ministry of Transport in implementing investment projects in the localities to ensure their quality and progress; actively mobilize all resources and reserve an appropriate portion from annual local budgets for developing local transport systems.

- Take specific measures to proactively allocate land areas for resettlement, speeding up ground clearance work for early hand-over to contractors to implement projects according to schedule.

Article 3. This Decision takes effect on the date of its signing.

Article 4. Ministers, heads of ministerial-level agencies, heads of government-attached agencies and chairpersons of the People's Committees of Mekong River delta provinces shall implement this Decision.-

PRIME MINISTER

NGUYEN TAN DUNG