Mr. Son: Limitations from project management

(Baonghean) - In recent years, Anh Son district has taken advantage of funding from the Government, central ministries and agencies, the province, and non-governmental organizations to invest in many large projects, contributing to positive changes. However, many projects remain unfinished or are being constructed in a half-hearted manner, leaving people anxiously awaiting completion.

We visited the upstream area of ​​the Ba Coi dam, in Long Son commune. This is a fertile land with vast tea plantations hidden among acacia forests. However, the local people are concerned about the Nhan Tai - Gia Giang raw material road. According to the design, the Nhan Tai - Gia Giang raw material road will pass through the upstream of the Ba Coi dam, connecting to the paved road through the mountainous forest areas of Long Son, Cao Son, and Linh Son communes, and the Ho Chi Minh Highway; a sturdy bridge was planned at the headwaters of the Ba Coi dam stream. Since 2006, after the raw material road project was launched, many groups of workers have come to survey and erect temporary shelters for construction, but the bridge is still nowhere to be seen. Because there is no bridge, the road cannot be opened. During the dry season, when the dam water level is low, people use planks and bamboo to build bridges. During the rainy season, large bundles of bamboo are tied together to form rafts and then pulled across the dam using ropes. Living right next to the dam, Mr. Tran Van Ban said that his family has been living in this area for over 10 years, reclaiming barren land and planting 2 hectares of tea and 10 hectares of acacia trees for timber. When the plan to build a road for timber was announced, everyone was happy and excited. "I don't understand why the road was left unfinished and then stopped. Now, people who want to sell their acacia forests, tea, or even their buffaloes, cows, pigs, and chickens are having a very hard time," Mr. Ban shared.

The Nhan Tai – Gia Giang road project remains unfinished after 8 years.

It is known that in 2006, Anh Son district organized the commencement of the "Renovation and Upgrading of the Nhan Tai to Gia Giang Road" project, comprising the following routes: Hoi Son to Phuc Son; Long Son - Cao Son - Linh Son; and Phuc Son - Long Son, with a total length of 35.465 km. This road is strategically important for the socio-economic development of Anh Son district, opening up opportunities for the development of forest, sugarcane, and tea plantations in the communes. At the same time, this road is also significant for national security and defense, connecting communes near the border. The project has an investment of over 40.4 billion VND, comprising 3 routes, divided into 6 bidding packages. Decision No. 2251/QD-UBND dated July 12, 2005, of the Provincial People's Committee approving the results of the 6 bidding packages of the project clearly states that the implementation schedule for each package is from 270 to 360 days. After the commencement of construction, the contractors mobilized a large amount of machinery and workers to build the road with great determination. However, after a short time, construction encountered many difficulties, and many sections of the road were halted. Currently, 4 packages have been completed and put into use, while packages No. 1 and No. 5 are experiencing delays. Given this situation, the Anh Son District People's Committee has repeatedly submitted proposals requesting a change of contractor and an adjustment to the total investment of the project by the Provincial People's Committee. On January 9, 2014, the Provincial People's Committee approved the adjustment of the total investment to 51.906 billion VND. The district also terminated the contracts with two contractors, Construction Joint Stock Company No. 5 and Nghe Tinh Port Construction Joint Stock Company, replacing them with other contractors. The bridge at the upstream location of the Ba Coi dam is also being redesigned to suit the new water level after the dam elevation project is implemented…

The Khe Da dam project in Long Son commune is behind schedule.

We visited the Khe Da dam area. This is a water reservoir dam, responsible for irrigation and providing water for domestic use to the fields in Long Son commune. In 2010, the Provincial People's Committee approved the Economic and Technical Report for the Khe Da Reservoir Construction Project with a total investment of 6.796 billion VND. In 2011, Package No. 1, including all construction work, was implemented, with a completion time of 6 months. However, to date, the project is still unfinished.

Poor. Upon arriving at the construction site, we found no workers in sight, and some materials were covered with tarpaulins by the contractor. The foundation of the dam was constructed with large stones, but it was not yet complete. Mr. Nguyen Van Tuan – Vice Chairman of the Long Son Commune People's Committee – expressed his concern: “The rainy season is approaching, and if the project cannot be completed, it will become a water reservoir, and if the dam breaks, we don't know what will happen!”

Also delayed for many years, the "Thung Chanh Resettlement Village Construction Project" in Tho Son commune is even more stalled. This project, with a total investment of 12.6 billion VND and covering an area of ​​40 hectares, involves the construction of 54 new houses for Thai ethnic minority households relocating from Khe Trang Thuong and Khe Trang Ha villages. The project began in 2009, but only a few mounds of earth and rocks remain on the Khe Trang spillway. Other components of the project are still in a state of suspension. Currently, Anh Son district is in the process of transferring the project from the District Ethnic Minorities and Mountainous Areas Department to the District Project Management Board for management and further implementation.

To date, in addition to the long-term delayed projects mentioned above, Anh Son district also has unfinished projects such as the Left Bank Road Project of the Lam River, the Rescue Road Project, the Tho Son Commune Sugarcane Raw Material Road Project, the road to Hop Son Cement Plant, etc. All of these are projects of significant economic, social, and national defense and security importance. When discussing the reasons for the delays and unfinished state of a series of projects in the district, Ms. Vo Thi Hong Lam - Chairwoman of the District People's Committee - stated that, besides the extremely harsh local weather conditions, with many unfinished construction projects being swept away by rain and floods, the slow disbursement of capital over the years and the weak capacity of contractors have significantly affected the progress of these projects.

It can be said that, in addition to the reasons mentioned above, the delays in a series of projects in Anh Son district are due to the lack of thoroughness and proactiveness of the investors (the District People's Committee) as well as the weaknesses of the District Project Management Board. For example, in the Nhan Tai – Gia Giang road project, the investor failed to coordinate effectively with the investor of the Ba Coi dam elevation project to make timely adjustments and establish accountability. Only when the water level rose did they start redesigning the bridge and road, which was both costly and delayed construction. In other projects such as the Thung Chanh resettlement project and the Khe Da dam project, the investors did not conduct proper topographic surveys, leading to unnecessary problems during construction. In addition, the investor also failed to adequately supervise the Project Management Board (the unit managing projects such as the Nhan Tai - Gia Giang road and the Khe Da dam), and the Department of Ethnic Minorities and Mountainous Areas (managing the Thung Chanh resettlement project) in project management, and did not promptly report, adjust to arising issues, or resolve obstacles during project implementation. Ms. Vo Thi Hong Lam acknowledged the weak capacity of the district's Project Management Board and explained that, prior to 2012, the district lacked transportation, irrigation, and bridge engineers, leading to limitations in project appraisal.

In 2014, Anh Son district received funding from higher-level budgets for 108 projects, with a total planned capital of VND 137.82 billion. This included 1 project from the Central Government budget, 17 projects from Government bonds, 48 ​​projects from the province's centralized capital construction budget, and 42 projects from the province's targeted program budget. In addition, there were projects carried over from previous years. Therefore, besides seeking funding sources, Anh Son district needs concrete measures to strengthen and improve the capacity of project management staff, select qualified contractors and design units, and proactively monitor construction projects to promptly address any problems or issues arising during construction. Only by doing so can the project's progress be ensured, avoiding waste, unnecessary expenses, and increased investment costs.

Text and photos:Nguyen Khoa