Reviewing and addressing delayed non-budgetary investment projects in Nghe An: A matter that cannot be delayed.
Although the People's Committee of Nghe An province has issued directives to review slow-progressing non-budgetary investment projects to find solutions and direct implementation, thereby preventing waste and maximizing land use efficiency, a serious assessment reveals that the results are still lagging behind.
Many communes have not yet reviewed and reported.
On June 29, 2025, one day before the official operation of the two-tiered local government system, the People's Committee of Nghe An province issued Document No. 6201/UBND-CN "On maximizing the effectiveness of land use for non-budgetary investment projects" to provincial departments, agencies, and branches; People's Committees of districts, cities, and towns (People's Committees of communes after the restructuring of the two-tiered local government system).
In the aforementioned document,People's Committee of Nghe An ProvinceIt has requested departments, agencies, and localities, according to their functions and duties, to focus on implementing the following contents (original text):
“1. Proactively strengthen inspection and supervision; improve coordination between local authorities and departments in monitoring and reporting on the progress of projects in the province. In the coming period, when the two levels of government officially come into operation, the People's Committees at the commune level must immediately review projects in their areas (paying attention to projects that are behind schedule or have not yet put the land into use), classify projects (whether land has been allocated or leased), and promptly compile and report to the Provincial People's Committee and the Departments of Agriculture and Environment, Construction, and Finance to ensure timely handling and prevent interruptions in supervision and management.”
At the same time, local authorities need to regularly inspect, monitor, and urge investors to implement projects in accordance with land use purposes, approved detailed construction plans, and issued construction permits; integrate software to monitor the operational status of investment projects; promptly detect and take measures to guide and urge investors to complete projects in accordance with regulations, minimizing the need for adjustments to detailed construction plans.
2. Resolutely review and implement land reclamation and terminate investment projects that violate land laws; and projects that have been granted multiple extensions but remain unfinished.
3. Continue to enhance responsibility in providing opinions, appraisals, and advice on approving investment policies for projects. Thoroughly assess the investor's capacity and the investment sector to ensure project feasibility and efficient land use.
4. Departments, agencies, and local authorities need to regularly strengthen dialogue, guidance, and resolution of difficulties and obstacles for investors during the project implementation process; local authorities should accompany and support investors in land clearance and land use right transfer to implement projects for socio-economic development of the locality in accordance with development orientation and legal regulations.
5. Regularly review, advise, report, and propose to competent authorities improvements to legal regulations on handling delayed projects to suit practical realities (regarding the basis for determining delayed projects/projects not using land, there should be regulations on the partial revocation of projects, etc.).
6. Request the Department of Finance to take the lead and coordinate with relevant agencies to review, compile, and report on unfinished and delayed projects; report to the Provincial People's Committee before July 25, 2025.”
The above directives from the Provincial People's Committee are very detailed and clear. However, on August 4, 2025, the Provincial People's Committee once again had to issue Document No. 1773/UBND-CN."Regarding maximizing the efficiency of land use in non-budgetary investment projects"Sent to provincial departments, boards, and agencies; People's Committees of communes and wards.
In this document, the Provincial People's Committee reiterates the instructions given in Official Letter No. 6201/UBND-CN dated June 29, 2025; and simultaneously directs:“The relevant departments, agencies, People's Committees of communes and wards, and related units are instructed to continue to promptly and effectively implement the tasks assigned in Document No. 6201/UBND-CN and other directives from the Central Government, the Provincial Party Committee, and the Provincial People's Committee to avoid land waste and maximize land use efficiency for investment projects; The Department of Finance is tasked with leading, proactively coordinating, and urging relevant agencies to promptly review, compile, and report on unfinished and delayed projects; and report to the Provincial People's Committee before August 12, 2025.”
On August 5, 2025, the Department of Finance issued Document No. 4883/STC-TC&PTDN to the People's Committees of the communes. This document refers to Document No. 1683/STC-TC&PTDN dated April 15, 2025, from the Department of Finance, which requested that departments, agencies, and localities review projects showing signs of delays outside the Southeast Economic Zone and industrial parks; as well as Documents No. 2251/STC-TC&PTDN dated May 7, 2025, and No. 4009/STC-TC&PTDN dated July 4, 2025, urging the implementation of this task. Therefore, the Department of Finance requested that the People's Committees of the communes promptly review and report on the contents directed by the Provincial People's Committee.
Notably, attached to Document No. 4883/STC-TC&PTDN from the Department of Finance is a list of communes that have not yet completed the review and reporting of delayed non-budgetary projects. According to the list, there are still 50 communes concentrated in the (former) districts, including: Hung Nguyen, Nam Dan, Nghi Loc, Dien Chau, Ky Son, Quy Chau, Quy Hop and Tan Ky, that have not completed the task as directed by the Provincial People's Committee.
There can be no delay.
Regarding delayed non-budgetary investment projects, on June 17, 2025, the Department of Agriculture and Environment submitted Report No. 4045/SNNMT-QLĐĐ to the Provincial People's Committee. The report stated that from 2012 to December 2024, the Provincial People's Committee established 12 inter-agency inspection teams to inspect 965 projects. Following these inspections, the Provincial People's Committee revoked or canceled 165 projects; the remaining projects were granted extensions, were not classified as delayed, or were handled differently.
The Department of Agriculture and Environment also reported to the Provincial People's Committee on the difficulties and complexities encountered in handling slow-progress land-use projects, stemming from legal, financial, social, and administrative procedural factors. These include administrative procedural obstacles (overlapping and conflicting planning types; difficulties in land acquisition and clearance, etc.); obstacles related to regulations on extending land-use deadlines; and obstacles related to the investor's capacity (finance, management, experience).
The Department of Agriculture and Environment has highlighted a current situation, which is:"Essentially, project delays are due to investors lacking sufficient financial capacity to implement projects according to the committed schedule, weak management capabilities, and a lack of experience in handling legal procedures, leading to project delays. In addition, some investors with limited capacity intentionally procrastinate, occupying land and waiting for price increases to transfer the project, causing a waste of land resources."
To address the existing problems and obstacles, the Department of Agriculture and Environment has proposed a set of solutions to advise the Provincial People's Committee on implementation, with an emphasis on inspection and monitoring. According to the Department of Agriculture and Environment, coordination between local authorities and relevant departments and agencies in monitoring and reporting on the progress of projects in the area is crucial for the effective implementation of these solutions.
Therefore, it is proposed that, once the two-tiered local government system comes into operation, the People's Committees at the commune level where investment projects are located should proactively review projects in their areas, classify projects promptly, compile reports, and submit them to the Provincial People's Committee and relevant departments and agencies for inspection, examination, and timely handling.
At the same time, local authorities need to regularly inspect, monitor, and urge investors to implement projects in accordance with the land use purpose, construction according to the approved detailed construction plan and issued construction permits; promptly detect and take measures to handle violations so that investors complete projects in accordance with regulations…
Through monitoring the detection, inspection, and handling of delayed non-budgetary projects over time, we (the reporters) have realized that the role of local authorities is extremely important. Where local authorities do a good job of inspection and supervision, project investors will strictly comply with legal regulations and fulfill their investment commitments.
Therefore, when the district-level government ceases to exist, the newly established commune and ward governments need to be aware of their role and responsibility in inspecting, supervising, and urging investors to implement projects, as stated by the Department of Agriculture and Environment in Report No. 4045/SNNMT-QLĐĐ. First and foremost, they need to strictly implement the directives of the Provincial People's Committee in Document No. 6201/UBND-CN and Document No. 1773/UBND-CN dated August 4, 2025.
