Hanoi (VNA) – Minister of TransportNguyen Van The was confronted with hot issues at the question-and-answer(Q&A) session of the ongoing 36th meeting of the National Assembly StandingCommittee in Hanoi on August 15.

The minister was questioned about theconstruction of the North-South expressway, automatic charge collection, andsolutions to ensure the progress of the Trung Luong – My Thuan – Can Thoexpressway.

Regarding the construction of the North-Southexpressway, Minister The said this is a national key project, so allprocedures, including biddings to select investors, must be carried outaccording to law, ensuring the quality and progress.

As the project has special significance insecurity–defence and economy–society, such matters must be particularly takeninto account, he stressed.

He revealed that the ministry has approvedthe project and is making design and estimate.

The ministry had also reported to the Governmentto ask for opinions from agencies to implement this project and guarantee itseconomic, defence and security significance.

Regarding the construction of the Trung Luong –My Thuan, My Thuan – Can Tho, and My Thuan 2 Bridge, the minister said the HoChi Minh City – Trung Luong – My Thuan – Can Tho is one of the most importantroads in the Mekong Delta.

The Government started this project 10 years agobut the progress to this moment remains slow.

For the Trung Luong – My thuan part, theGovernment has decided to provide an additional 2,186 trillion VND (94 billionUSD) to support investors and allow them to adjust the project, which was laterapproved by the People’s Committee of the Mekong Delta province of Tien Giang.

Investors poured about 3 trillion VND and theremainder was from credit institutions, he said.

The Government has assigned the Governor of theState Bank of Vietnam to direct banks to support about 6 trillion VND for theTrung Luong – My Thuan project, The said.

With such investment, the project is expected toopen to traffic the Trung Luong – My Thuan section and complete the others by2021, according to the direction of the Prime Minister.

Regarding My Thuan 2 Bridge, the minister saidthe National Assembly has arranged over 5.1 trillion VND for this project,adding that the transport ministry is making design and estimate for the bridgeand plans to begin its construction in the first quarter of 2020.

He further said the ministry will open biddingsto select investors for the My Thuan – Can Tho project from now to the year’send, while working with the Mekong Delta provinces of Dong Thap and Vinh Longto hand over the construction site and strive to push the progress.

As for the automatic charge collection, MinisterThe said Resolution 437 of the NA Standing Committee requests the accelerationof this work, striving to complete the building of 44 toll stations and 620lanes by the end of this year.

Last month, the Prime Minister continueddirecting the Ministry of Transport and investors to push ahead with this task,he said.

The Vietnam Expressway Corporation has 226automated non-stop toll stations but the implementation progressis very slow, he said, adding that the ministry reported the situation to thePrime Minister and the Committee for State Capital Management at Enterprises.

By December 31, the ministry will stopcollecting charges at all toll stations which do not apply automated non-stopones, he affirmed.

The minister also fielded questions aboutdifficulties in calling for social investment to airports, saying theGovernment’s viewpoint in this matter is striving to harmonise benefits betweenforeign investors and the Airports Corporation of Vietnam and State-runfirms.-VNA