Deputy Prime Minister Le Van Thanh and projects racing against time

From the day he took office as Deputy Prime Minister until his death at 8:20 p.m. on August 22, 2023, Mr. Le Van Thanh held the role of Government leader for 2 years and 4 months.

Mr. Le Van Thanh was approved by the National Assembly to be appointed as Deputy Prime Minister on April 8, 2021.

During his time as Deputy Prime Minister, Mr. Le Van Thanh was assigned to monitor the following areas: Industry, agriculture and rural development; trade - import and export; construction; transportation; natural resources and environment; national master planning, regional planning, provincial planning; energy assurance, and energy saving and efficiency.

In addition, he is also in charge of key national projects; basic construction investment projects according to the law's decentralization; economic zones, industrial zones, export processing zones; flood and storm prevention, search and rescue; and climate change response strategies.

Deputy Prime Minister Le Van Thanh monitors and directs the Ministries of Agriculture and Rural Development, Industry and Trade, Construction, Transport, Natural Resources and Environment.

Mr. Le Van Thanh's most recent activity was attending the State Steering Committee conference on important national projects and works, key to the transport sector at the Government headquarters on the afternoon of November 16, 2022.

On November 21, 2022, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh issued a Decision on assigning direction and handling work during Deputy Prime Minister Le Van Thanh's trip abroad. Mr. Thanh's tasks will be taken over by two other Deputy Prime Ministers from this date.

In January 2023, the areas under Mr. Thanh's charge were officially assigned by the Prime Minister to other Deputy Prime Ministers to take charge of until now.

Race against time

During more than 2 years as Deputy Prime Minister, Mr. Le Van Thanh chaired many conferences to urge key transportation projects such as the North-South Expressway and Long Thanh Airport.

With Long Thanh airport project,Deputy Prime Minister Le Van Thanh always reminds ministries, branches and localities: "This is a key project. Anyone who is slow and affects the progress should step aside and let someone else do it."

There were times when Deputy Prime Minister Le Van Thanh, not accepting the slow-moving approach, asked the investor to change his thinking and approach and promised to join hands with all parties to ensure the progress of Long Thanh airport. He also advised "comrades to try to keep the commitments they have made".

At the meeting of the Government Steering Committee to implement the Long Thanh International Airport project on June 14, 2022, Deputy Prime Minister Le Van Thanh noted: "If the contractor is lacking, supplement it, if it is slow, replace it immediately, the implementation progress is in 3 shifts, absolutely do not allow the situation of stopping or interrupting construction".

For the North-South Expressway project,Deputy Prime Minister Le Van Thanh also chaired many meetings with ministries and localities to urge work from site clearance to material preparation, etc.

He always requires ministries, branches and localities to make real efforts, be determined and innovate to "race against time" to keep up with progress and not miss opportunities to develop the country.

"The Government and the Prime Minister are determined and will accompany localities to ensure quality and completion on schedule," the Deputy Prime Minister affirmed.

On June 9, 2022, before the National Assembly, Deputy Prime Minister Le Van Thanh pledged: "The Government is determined to achieve the goals of building expressways."

In 2022, Deputy Prime Minister Le Van Thanh directly inspected the progress of expressway projects many times: Ben Luc - Long Thanh; Mai Son - National Highway 45, Cam Lo - La Son, Vinh Hao - Phan Thiet and Phan Thiet - Dau Giay; Chau Doc - Can Tho - Soc Trang...

A notable activity of Deputy Prime Minister Le Van Thanh is directing natural disaster prevention.

Deputy Prime Minister Le Van Thanh and his delegation inspected and urged the work of preventing storm No. 4 in Quang Tri province and chaired a meeting to review the work of responding to storm No. 4 right at the bridgehead of the Quang Tri Provincial People's Committee.

After that, he went to Thua Thien Hue to inspect and direct the work of preventing storm No. 4 from the headquarters of the Provincial Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Search and Rescue.

At around 0:00 on September 28, 2022, from the command center of the Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Search and Rescue of Thua Thien Hue province, Deputy Prime Minister Le Van Thanh summoned the bridgeheads to report on the situation and impacts of the storm.

Mr. Le Van Thanh was born on October 20, 1962, in Tan Lien commune, Vinh Bao district, Hai Phong city; Master's degree in Economic Management.

He is a member of the Party Central Committee, 12th and 13th terms; a delegate of the 12th National Assembly.

He grew up as an accountant and then held many leadership and management positions at Hai Phong Cement Factory and assumed the position of Director of Hai Phong Cement Company, concurrently Head of the Hai Phong Cement Urban Area Project Management Board until July 2010.

He then held the position of Vice Chairman of Hai Phong City People's Committee from July 2010 to December 2014 and became Chairman of the city from December 2014 to June 2016.

From July 2016 to April 2021, he served as Secretary of the City Party Committee and Chairman of the People's Council of Hai Phong City.

He has held the position of Deputy Prime Minister from April 2021 to present.