Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang on July 8 worked with leaders of the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho on the progress of projects using official development assistance (ODA) in the city.
The Deputy PM earlier inspected the 500-bed Can Tho Oncology Hospital project; the Can Tho River dyke project; and Tran Hoang Na bridge project.
The Can Tho Oncology Hospital has a total investment of 1.72 trillion VND (72.7 million USD), 80.66% of which is funded by the Hungarian Government. As scheduled, all of the capital should be disbursed by July 11, 2022. However, so far, just 22.77% of the total has been disbursed.
According to the Ministry of Finance, the major reason behind the slow disbursement is problems in the contract between the Can Tho Department of Health and Hungarian contractors.
The People’s Committee of Can Tho proposed two solutions to the issue, thus speeding up the project’s progress.
Meanwhile, the Can Tho River dyke funded by the French Development Agency (AFD) is delayed due to slow ground clearance process, with only 88.6% of the project land handed over to contractors. It has also faced administrative obstacles for disbursement procedures.
At the same time, the construction of Tran Hoang Na bridge has been completed by 80.53%. The investor has asked the contractors to ensure that the project will finish by September 2.
Speaking at the working session, Deputy PM Quang underlined the important role of the Can Tho Oncology Hospital in the Mekong Delta region. He said he will direct the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to consult the Hungarian side on the project.
He asked the Can Tho People’s Committee to submit a report on the project, clarifying detailed data, technical solutions and difficulties of the project, adding that he will convene a meeting on the project after receiving the report and another from the Foreign Ministry after its discussions with the Hungarian side.
For the Can Tho River dyke project, Deputy PM Quang asked the Ministry of Finance to assist Can Tho in dealing with problems with the AFD. He also asked Can Tho to ensure the progress of the Tran Hoang Na bridge project as scheduled./.
Source: Vietnam News Agency