Land clearance for the Vinh urban development project must be completed in the first quarter of 2017.

(Baonghean.vn) - On the afternoon of January 19th,The World Bank delegation, led by Ms. Phan Thi Phuong Huyen, Urban Specialist, held a working session with the Vinh Provincial People's Committee regarding the Vinh urban development project. The provincial side included...Comrade Huynh Thanh Dien - Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, along with representatives from the following departments and agencies: Finance, Construction, Natural Resources and Environment, Planning and Investment, the Provincial People's Committee Office, and local authorities: Vinh City and Hung Nguyen District.

Members attending the meeting. Photo: Xuan Hoang

The Vinh Urban Development Project, funded by the World Bank, comprises four components: improving services and upgrading basic infrastructure; improving environmental sanitation; constructing urban bridges and roads; and strengthening technical infrastructure capacity. The total investment for the project is US$152.922 million, equivalent to VND 3.18 trillion, of which US$98 million is a loan from the World Bank and US$54.922 million is the Vietnamese counterpart funding.

The project is scheduled for completion on December 30, 2017. To date, the total disbursed funds from the World Bank loan amount to US$47 million, reaching 55% of the total project capital; the project implementation period is 80% complete; and the counterpart funding provided is VND 970 billion.

Comrade Huynh Thanh Dien - Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee - assigned Vinh City and Hung Nguyen District to complete land clearance for the Vinh urban development project in the first quarter of 2017. Photo: Xuan Hoang

Currently, the project has completed several packages, including: improving school sanitation; constructing a resettlement area in Hamlet 5, Nghi Phu Commune; upgrading and renovating the North Canal (phases 1 and 2); upgrading and renovating Canal No. 3; upgrading the main wastewater pumping station, constructing a new wastewater pumping station and a gravity-fed canal to the main pumping station; and is currently implementing 11 construction packages. Some packages are behind schedule due to difficulties and obstacles in land clearance.

Ms. Phan Thi Phuong Huyen delivers her remarks. Photo: Xuan Hoang

Representing the World Bank, Ms. Phan Thi Phuong Huyen stated that although the Vinh urban land clearance project has made significant progress, its pace remains slow. In particular, many areas in Hung Nguyen district still lack land clearance. For the Vinh urban development project to be completed by June 2018, the local authorities must finalize land clearance work by the first quarter of 2017.

Construction of the moat around Vinh ancient citadel. (Archival photo)

In discussions with the working group, Mr. Huynh Thanh Dien, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, agreed with the opinions and recommendations of the expert team. He also committed to completing the land clearance work by the first quarter of 2017. After the Lunar New Year holiday, Vinh City and Hung Nguyen District immediately began the land clearance work. The biggest obstacle was the 35-meter section of road through Nghi Duc commune, but the area for compensation and land clearance has now been surveyed and completed.

Xuan Hoang