Eagle eyes to follow key projects

The council, co-chaired by Planning and Investment Minister Vo Hong Phuc and Japanese ambassador to Vietnam Norio Hattori, comprises Vietnamese deputy ministers of transport, science and technology, finance, foreign affairs and general directors of Vietnam Railway Corporation, Vietnam Expressway Corporation and the Hoa Lac Hi-Tech Park Management Authority.
Japanese participants include the chief representatives of JICA, JBIC and JETRO and meetings will be held every two months.
Phuc told the council’s first meeting last week in Hanoi that priority sub-projects for developing the Hoa Lac Hi-Tech Park, north-south expressway and railway must be identified in expectation of receiving Japanese official development assistance packages next year.
“Three large-scale infrastructure projects are a result of Vietnamese and Japanese prime ministerial agreements and symbolise the relationship between the two nations. Their implementation will definitely require adequate time, full resources, strong willingness and great patience,” Phuc said.
Nguyen Van Lang, Science and Technology Deputy Minister and chief of Hoa Lac Hi-Tech Park Management Authority, said the upgraded development plans for Hoa Lac hi-tech park, which received JICA’s technical assistance, would be completed in October this year, with infrastructure development to begin next year.
Work on Hoa Lac hi-tech park, which will boast a software park, a university, R&D centres, a hi-tech industrial park, residential and recreational areas, started almost a decade ago but financial hiccups delayed the project.
“In parallel with refurnishing the park with funds provided by the Japanese Government, we are rallying Japanese giants like Panasonic and Nec to come to Hoa Lac. JETRO has delegated a specialist who will help Hoa Lac carry out planned investment promotion activities including establishment of Hoa Lac website and organisation of investment workshops,” Lang said.
He said that the Ministry of Science and Technology was currently working out a list of incentives, such as favourable land rental and taxes rates, to attract hi-tech investors.
Deputy Minister of Transport Ngo Thinh Duc said priority sub-projects for the north-south expressway and railway projects need to be identified immediately.
Thinh said that Vietnam Railway Corporation was working on a feasibility study for the north-south express railway, which would be tabled for prime ministerial approval before the end of this year.
Preliminary studies indicated that the 1,630 kilometres route linking Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City would reduce travel time from 29 hours to just over nine hours. The estimated investment capital for the project is $32.6 billion.
In a step to implement this robust project, Hattori said JICA would provide Vietnam with a special assistance package to develop a training course for railway workers.
Meanwhile, only one section (Phap Van-Cau Gie) on the north-south expressway, which is divided into 10 sections to link Hanoi and Can Tho, has completed construction. Duc said that the remaining sections on the way were either under construction or undergoing a feasible study.