HCMC – Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province is experiencing significant delays in 20 out of its 46 major infrastructure projects, primarily due to land clearance and paperwork difficulties.
Le Ngoc Linh, director of the provincial Department of Planning and Investment, said that while 15 projects have been postponed to 2025, 26 others are still being closely monitored. Of these, only six have started construction, with most facing issues related to land compensation, investment procedures, and forest land conversion.
One such delayed project is the dredging and infrastructure development of the Ben Dinh Canal in Vung Tau City, approved in 2019. Covering 81.12 hectares, this project aims to upgrade the canal, enabling it to accommodate fishing vessels and provide docking for 250 boats.
Nguyen Van Tu, deputy director of the provincial Traffic Project Management Board, noted that time is running out for the project, with only 20 months left to meet its deadline. The delays are mainly due to difficulties in securing land, he added.
Tu urged the provincial government to expedite the handover of the remaining land to allow the dredging to proceed as planned. The board has also requested that provincial authorities consider extending the project.
Several other key projects are similarly affected by land clearance issues, investment procedures, and regulatory approvals, according to the Department of Planning and Investment.
These delays have prompted provincial authorities to call for stronger leadership from project managers and better coordination with central government agencies to resolve these issues. Local officials have approved compensation and resettlement plans for affected households, but relocation efforts continue to be hampered by ongoing paperwork hurdles.
The Long Son-Cai Mep road project, which aims to connect the Long Son Petroleum Industrial Zone with the Cai Mep-Thi Vai port area, is also behind schedule. Despite being allocated VND350 billion for 2024, the project has completed only 36.7% of its construction, with just 3.34% of the budget disbursed so far.
