ODA funds one third of road building costs

A road is being built in mountainous Quy Chau District in central Nghe An Province to prevent erosion during the flood season. The country needs VND12 trillion to upgrade its road system. —VNA/VNS Photo Le Ba Lieu

HA NOI — Almost VND12 trillion (US$600 million) will be needed for road building next year, estimates the Transport Ministry's Roads Directorate.

More than VND3.7 trillion ($188 million) would be drawn from Government bonds and more than VND1.8 trillion ($90 million) from official development assistance (ODA), said Deputy Transport Minister and Roads Directorate director Ngo Thinh Duc.

The focus - as this year - would be road maintenance.

"We will ask the Government to establish a fund for road maintenance to ensure a stable supply of capital for the work," he said.

The directorate has also proposed the installation of 23 standard weighing stations to protect roads from damage.

"The work will be expanded after the directorate completes two pilot weighing stations in northern-coastal Quang Ninh and southern Dong Nai provinces by the end of this year," said deputy minister Duc.

The directorate had completed 11 projects with total funds of VND4.6 trillion ($230 million) this year, he said.

As much as VND2.7 trillion ($135 million) had been spent on maintenance.

"Although it was the highest amount so far, it met only 60 per cent of demand," the deputy minister said.

The cause had been four tropical lows and three bouts of heavy rain between September and November that destroyed more than 70 roads in the central provinces.

Flash-floods had also seriously damaged roads in both the central and highland provinces.

The deputy minister said the directorate would co-operate with relevant agencies in the use of the capital it was provided and seek the money from both domestic and international sources.

It would also seek capital via build-operate-transfer and build-transfer projects.

Projects such as the upgrading of Highway 1A linking central Thanh Hoa and Ha Tinh provinces and Highway 49A linking Hue City and its A Luoi highland district that could be completed in 2011 – 12 would be given priority.

"The increasing number of vehicles had seriously damaged both highways," said deputy minister Duc.

The directorate has 20 projects planned, if it can raise the necessary funds.

These include widening Highway 18 in northern Quang Ninh Province and upgrading Highway 20 in central-highland Lam Dong province.

Directorate figures show that Viet Nam's road system extends more than 279,927km and includes 39,800 bridges. — VNS

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Ministry puts $35b price tag on transport needs

HA NOI — The Transport Ministry estimates that more than VND680 trillion (US$35 billion), will be needed to build transport infrastructure in the southern key economic zones between 2011-20.

The amount needed for roads will total VND326 trillion($16.7 billion); railways, VND88 trillion ($4.5 billion); domestic waterways, VND7 trillion ($360 million); and aviation VND91 trillion ($4.67 billion), it says in a report to the Government as part of a plan for infrastructure development.

The plan gives roads to reduce traffic jams and link transport routes priority.

The key road transport routes are identified as: HCM City - Long Thanh - Dau Giay; Trung Luong - My Thuan - Ben Luc - Nhon Trach - Long Thanh; and Dau Giay - Phan Thiet.

Highways would be of four to eight lanes. The plan also envisages the building of the Bien Hoa - Vung Tau; HCM City - Moc Bai; HCM City - Thu Dau MoÄt - Chon Thanh; and the Dau Giay - Da Lat highways in the next 10 years.

Beltway roads around HCM City and roads to ports would be built and existing highways upgraded. — VNS

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Natural disasters have big impact in October

Natural disasters left 173 dead or missing and injured 168 others in the month to October 21, reported the Statistics General Department.

Damages were estimated at over 8.5 trillion VND, of which the central province of Ha Tinh alone suffered 5.2 trillion VND in losses from typhoon Megi.

The other two hard-hit central provinces of Quang Binh and Nghe An were reported as suffering damages worth some 1.9 trillion VND and 1.2 trillion VND, respectively.

In an effort to help victims recover, the Prime Minister has ordered the disbursement of 660 billion VND from the State hedge budget and free supply of 11,000 tonnes of rice from the national rice reserves for disaster-hit areas.

In general, relief aid from various sources totalled almost 700 billion VND, over 14,000 tonnes of rice, over 153 tonnes of instant noodles, 58,000 boxes of mineral water bottles and many other daily necessities.

Weather forecasters have warned of further complicated developments of natural disasters during the rest of the year, asking responsible agencies to stay alert and strictly follow the Prime Minister’s recent urgent guidelines on storm and flood control./.

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