I'm still very undecided!

(Baonghean) - The discussion session on the Long Thanh Airport project at the National Assembly on the morning of May 4th left those who witnessed it with indescribable emotions.

Because this is a major project whose success or failure will have a huge impact on the national economy, it has attracted the attention of voters nationwide, with many different opinions divided into two very clear "factions": those who support it and those who oppose it.

But that's in society at large; in parliament, it's not so clear-cut or decisive. Previously, no one has explicitly stated whether they support or oppose something. Instead, they speak vaguely, subtly hinting at potential consequences, suggesting that if it's done, things will have to be this way, and if it's not done, things might be that way. They're subtle, discreet, and open to interpretation in many ways.

This discussion was quite different. Voices supporting the project were surprisingly strong and assertive. They argued that the Long Thanh Airport project must be considered within a long-term vision, beyond today's, accompanied by a warning that "delays will result in exponentially higher costs." They also warned that "delaying Long Thanh means missing a golden opportunity." It was enough to make one anxious and eager to go to Dong Nai and start the groundbreaking ceremony immediately. Unfortunately, these strong and bold assertions failed to explain who, what, and why would there be a cost, and on what basis they claimed the cost would be exponential rather than arithmetic…? And what exactly is this "golden opportunity," and what does it look like? Despite hearing so much about it, no one seems to have a clear picture of what it entails. In fact, that phrase has been mentioned many times before, in various contexts.

I remember when a huge amount of money was spent building the Cai Mep - Thi Vai Port with the ambition of making it an international transshipment port, people said exactly the same thing. But since it opened in 2009, the port has only operated at 15-16% of its designed capacity. There's no sign of profit; instead, the difficulties and challenges have only increased. Therefore, many people are concerned that what they've said is only qualitative, not quantitative. It's just an estimate, vague and not specific. Economic projects must be clearly and precisely calculated with accurate parameters and measurements; they can't be vague or based on emotion. To convince voters nationwide, concrete data is needed, especially regarding the economic efficiency of the project upon completion and operation. Just boasting like that is hard to believe.

Another surprise is that just a few months ago, the opposing viewpoint was quite strong. Specifically, on March 21st of this year, the scientific conference "Building a new Long Thanh Airport or upgrading Tan Son Nhat Airport" took place at the Southern Office of the National Assembly, attracting 170 delegates, including over 100 scientists and experts working in various fields. At that event, everyone agreed that careful consideration was needed, and that the unit proposing the construction should conduct a detailed analysis of the economic parameters and effectiveness of Long Thanh Airport before seriously proceeding with construction.

Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Thien Tong, Chairman of the Aviation Branch of the HASCON Science and Technology Consulting and Management Association, stated at the conference: “Recently, Minister Dinh La Thang said that if we don't give the Long Thanh project a chance, history will be guilty towards the country in the future. I, however, believe that rushing to build the new Long Thanh airport is a crime. Therefore, a clear study of the data and analysis of the limitations and risks of both Long Thanh and Tan Son Nhat is needed.”

It's unclear whether the delegates thoroughly researched the data and analyzed the limitations and risks before making such bold statements during the National Assembly discussion on May 4th, as they failed to provide any concrete evidence. Furthermore, a respected delegate frankly pointed out that National Assembly representatives lack the capacity to judge the economic impact of this project. If they lack the capacity, why did they make such strong claims?

Therefore, voters are left feeling confused and unsure of how to make the right choice. And as a voter, I must say frankly that I am still very uncertain!

Duy Huong