Ministry requests further explanation for huge airport project

Source: Pano feed

Ngoc Lan


The State assessment council for the project, headed by the minister himself, was originally scheduled for last Friday to decide whether the project could proceed to the Government and the National Assembly in May.


The project was submitted to the ministry in August last year. According to the Ministry of Transport and ACV, the project would help improve the nation’s air transport capacity. Meanwhile, HCMC-based Tan Son Nhat International Airport with a maximum capacity of 25 million passengers a year will become overloaded in 2016.


The project would be developed in three stages. ACV has presented the first stage between 2016 and 2025, in which an international transshipment terminal would go up with a capacity of 25 million passengers a year.


Last month, the council asked ACV to explain five key issues, including the reason for construction of Long Thanh Airport instead of expanding the Tan Son Nhat airport or upgrading Bien Hoa airport, scale of the project, traffic connectivity issue, site clearance and compensation, cost and economic efficiency.


Speaking at the second assessment meeting last Friday, Minister Vinh said this is a single project that has the biggest cost ever for one stage, at US$7.8 billion, while its land needs will reach the highest level, over 5,000 hectares. Caution should be practiced, he proposed.


“Without a clear explanation, the project could not be passed to the Government and the National Assembly, especially at a time of financial hardship,” Vinh said.


ACV general director Nguyen Nguyen Hung sent a document to the council making clear the five issues. However, it failed to satisfy the inspection group, the assessment council and experts.


Nguyen Xuan Tu, head of an assessment group for the project, said the report did not mention shortcomings and difficulties which Long Thanh airport project might face.


The investor has not made clear whether the planned airport could meet the regional traffic connectivity target or demands and challenges in site clearance, he said.


La Ngoc Khue, former Deputy Minister of Transport, said ACV should provide a clearer explanation for how to raise huge funds.


Minister Vinh requested ACV to make clear the issue and finish the report within 15 days.




Đăng ký: VietNam News

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