The project "Solving flooding caused by tides in the Ho Chi Minh City area taking into account climate change factors (phase 1)" with a total investment of nearly 10,000 billion VND has been 94% completed, but until now it is still "empty liver and tuyet".
Now, with the National Assembly allowing the city to use land funds to pay investors, the project has the opportunity to restart.
But the big question is, is this the last "rescue"?
The project does not lack money, does not lack determination on paper, nor is there a lack of achievement reports that have been nearly 100% completed. What has been lacking over the past 5 years is the legal outlet and drastic management capacity to complete and put the project into operation.
The reason the project had to be suspended from November 2020 due to legal problems, especially procedures for paying land funds to investors.
In meetings with voters, the familiar refrain was repeated that the project was 92%, then 94%. However, people are not living on a percentage of the construction volume, but are facing flooding, their livelihoods are being disrupted every time the tide rises.
Whether it is 99% or 100%, if the project is not yet operational, it is just an unreasonable number.
It should also be mentioned that the Ho Chi Minh City flood prevention project has been named by the General Secretary in the list of projects that are delayed and cause waste.
The waste lies not only in the interest rate increasing with each day of progress, but also in the huge opportunity cost that Ho Chi Minh City people have to bear, property damage, traffic jams, and declining quality of life, which cannot be exchanged for money.
Up to now, Ho Chi Minh City has the opportunity to rescue the flood prevention project that has been stuck for the past 5 years.
The Resolution amending and supplementing Resolution 98 recently passed by the National Assembly on December 11 is considered a "legal turning point", creating a clear legal basis for handling BT contracts signed before the PPP Law took effect but have not been paid.
Allowing payments by land fund or public assets can end confusion and shirk responsibility for many years.
However, the mechanism is only a necessary condition, not a sufficient condition. From the resolution to the construction site, from the document to life, there is always a huge gap.
If the implementation process is still slow, irresponsible, afraid of mistakes and not daring to do it, then today's "rescue" will easily become a premise for... another rescue in the future.
Ho Chi Minh City has the opportunity to close a scandalous project. But that opportunity is only meaningful if it comes with a commitment to progress, transparency in responsibilities and efficiency when put into operation.
