Hanoi (VNA) - The Ministryof Transport will put component projects of the North-South Expressway out to bid,Minister Nguyen Van The told the Vietnam News Agency on April 14.

According tothe plan on developing Vietnam’s expressway network to 2020 with vision to 2030,the North-South Expressway is to be 2,109 km long and stretch from thenorthern mountainous province of Lang Son to the southernmost province of Ca Mau.

It comprises11 sub-projects, with three set to be funded by the State budget and the remainingeight implemented under the public-private partnership (PPP) format.

However, theeight PPP sub-projects have received Government approval to be convertedinto the public investment model.

The transformation aims to optimiseundisbursed public investment capital and complete the project within the timetableset by the National Assembly.

Nguyen Van Thanh, former Chairmanof the Vietnam Automobile Transportation Association, said component projects mustbe put up for open tender and be in line with the law in order to avoid any publicdoubt or risk for both decision-makers and project managers and must also ensurebusiness competitiveness.

Thanh’s views were echoed by Dr.Tran Chung, Chairman of the Vietnam Association of Road Traffic Investors, who supportsthe bid option.

Military enterprises should begiven priority to take over essential projects in sections that have major nationalsecurity and defence implications.

Vu Duc Nhan, Deputy General Directorof the Phuong Thanh Company, said that either appointing contractors or selectingthem through a bidding process has advantages and disadvantages. Under either, headded, the top priority should be transparency.

Selection must be based on businesses’financial, human, and technological resources, among other matters, inparticular their experience in expressway construction, he said.

The appointment of contractorsunder the defence ministry should only be done for certain sections, he added, suggestinga bidding process for the remainder so that all enterprises can take part.

The Cienco 4 Group has proposedthe Ministry of Transport appoint it as contractor or investor of the section runningfrom Thanh Hoa province to Ha Tinh province in the north-central region, as thecompany has already invested in the Nghi Son (Thanh Hoa) - Cau Giat (Nghe An) sectionof National Highway 1A under the build-operate-transfer (BOT) model.

Minister The held a video conferencewith representatives from 13 cities and provinces on April 14 regarding site clearancealong the entire North-South Expressway.

He said that up to 70 percent ofsite clearance work in the 11 component projects has been completed to date. The workmust be fully completed prior to June so that construction can begin in August,he added, urging the ministry and localities to take drastic action in this regard./.