On September 5, Deputy Secretary of the City Party Committee, Chairman of the Can Tho City People's Committee Tran Van Lau and Vice Chairman Tran Chi Hung chaired a working session with relevant units on the situation of sand mining to serve the Chau Doc - Can Tho - Soc Trang expressway project phase 1.
Mr. Ngo Thai Chan - Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Can Tho City - said that as of September 2, 2025, there were 9 river sand mines in the area that had been licensed (7 certificates, 2 exploitation licenses) with a total reserve of nearly 9 million m3, but had only exploited more than 2.2 million m3. The total allowable capacity is an average of 25,433 m3/day, in reality only reaching 10,000 - 11,000 m3/day, equivalent to 40 - 43%.
The main reason is that many contractors have not ensured the output as committed, some mines are slow to deploy or stop exploitation; damaged equipment and vehicles have not been repaired in time; many units lack experience and have to hire others, so coordination is limited. With this progress, by the end of December 2025, only about 3.28 million m3 will be provided, lower than the project demand.
The leaders of the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Can Tho proposed to speed up the exploitation of licensed mines, soon put the B1.4 sea sand mine into operation, consider transferring part of the sea sand from the North-South expressway project, and at the same time proposed to support additional sources from Vinh Long and Dong Thap. In addition, it is necessary to soon issue an official sand price instead of the provisional rate of 81,950 VND/m3 to create a basis for businesses to feel secure in exploiting.
"If the units increase capacity, by December 31, 2025, the output will reach over 5 million m3, basically meeting the schedule," Mr. Chan calculated.
Speaking at the meeting, Chairman of the People's Committee of Can Tho City Tran Van Lau said that the characteristics of the sand mine in Soc Trang (now in Can Tho City) is located at the end of Hau River, sand mixed with a lot of fine mud, which must go through the screening and washing stage, which takes a lot of time, reducing the exploitation capacity. The quality of sand after treatment is only 60-70%, unlike sand in the upstream provinces of An Giang and Dong Thap, which are of good quality and easier to exploit.
Mr. Lau emphasized that in addition to objective difficulties, the management and operation of departments and investors are not really smooth. Many mines have been granted certificates but are slow to deploy, exploitation does not reach capacity, and have repeatedly committed but have not implemented.
"Some contractors have received the mines but have not exploited them. If they deliberately do not do it, they must report to the People's Committee to direct the inspectorate and the police to intervene in handling the case, even turning it into a criminal case. This is a common responsibility, it must be taken seriously," Mr. Lau emphasized.
Mr. Lau requested contractors to closely coordinate with mine owners to avoid hiring weak units and unsafe vehicles, affecting progress. If there is not enough capacity, it should be given up to arrange another unit. "If we ensure the means and do it drastically, the progress will be 60 - 70%, not like now," he said.
The Chairman of the People's Committee of Can Tho City emphasized that this is a national key project, with the meaning of promoting socio-economic development of the whole region. If it is not accelerated, it will not be fully disbursed in 2025. Therefore, departments, branches and investors must "keeper the progress every day, every week", proactively remove obstacles, increase exploitation capacity in mines with remaining reserves, and resolutely replace weak contractors. "If the project is not completed on schedule, we are at fault with the people," Mr. Lau emphasized.
In addition to river sand, Mr. Lau also requested to complete the procedures to put the sea sand mine (B1.4) into exploitation soon, prepare specialized equipment, and pay attention to environmental factors when using sea sand to build the roadbed.
Regarding sand prices, the city recommends issuing an official price soon instead of a temporary rate, creating a basis for businesses to feel secure in exploiting, contributing to ensuring the construction progress of this important expressway.
Mr. Lau added that the city has proactively contacted a number of localities to request support for material sources but is still stuck with specific mechanisms. Currently, the Government is drafting a Resolution, if approved, it is expected to support an additional 7,000 m3 from Ben Tre and 5,000 m3 from Dong Thap.
