Voters hope the project will be completed soon
The above information was announced by Mr. Nguyen Hoang Anh Dung - Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Urban Infrastructure Construction Investment Project Management Board - at the meeting with voters on September 27 of National Assembly Delegation No. 9, Ho Chi Minh City National Assembly Delegation.
The meeting was held in person and online with voters of Vinh Hoi, Khanh Hoi, Xom Chieu, Tan My, Tan Hung, Tan Thuan, Phu Thuan, Nha Be, Hiep Phuoc wards.
At the meeting, many voters expressed special interest in the progress of the 10,000 billion VND flood prevention project.
Voter Nguyen Thi Tuyet Van (Nha Be commune) said that people were very excited when the Government issued a Resolution to remove difficulties, creating conditions for the project to continue implementation. "I hope the city will soon strictly implement the instructions and put the project into operation to reduce flooding in the area" - Ms. Van said.
Sharing the same view, voter Doan Thi Kim Cuc (Tan Thuan ward) suggested that the authorities need to have a definitive answer about the fate of the project.
"I hope the National Assembly will pay attention and clearly affirm whether to do or not to do. If the 10,000 billion VND project is left unfinished, it would be a waste, while the city's people are still suffering from flooding."
This is a burning issue for Ho Chi Minh City
Responding to voters, Mr. Nguyen Hoang Anh Dung said that the project has now completed 92% of the construction volume.
The immediate goal is to complete the two large sluices of Ben Nghe and Muong Chuoi, then complete all six sluices to put them into use in 2026.
According to Mr. Dung, after the Government issued Resolution 212 to remove legal obstacles, Ho Chi Minh City has established two working groups, completed project adjustments and is waiting for appraisal to re-sign the contract. The city also worked with BIDV Bank and the State Bank to handle financial difficulties.
Sharing more with voters, Mr. Phan Van Mai - Chairman of the National Assembly's Economic and Financial Committee, former Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee - admitted that he had promised this project "no less than three times" during meetings with voters.
According to Mr. Phan Van Mai, due to the prolonged implementation process and new factors, the total capital was increased, leading to the need to update the project. The update process was stuck with some legal regulations, causing the project to be delayed.
Although the remaining volume is not much, the procedures for re-approval of the project, signing the contract and completing payment conditions have caused the progress to be prolonged.
The Government has issued Resolution 212 to remove bottlenecks. The city is urgently adjusting the project and re-signing the contract to continue implementation. Hopefully, some items will be completed this year, and the entire project will be completed next year. This is a burning issue for Ho Chi Minh City, every meeting since 2020 has been questioned by voters" - Mr. Phan Van Mai emphasized.
The nearly VND10,000 billion flood prevention project was started in 2016 under the BT (build - transfer) form, with the goal of controlling flooding caused by high tides for an area of about 570 km2, protecting the lives of 6.5 million people on the right bank of the Saigon River and the central area of Ho Chi Minh City.
Although it has reached more than 90% of the volume, the project has had to temporarily suspend construction since November 2020 due to problems with capital allocation and legal procedures. The prolonged delay has caused large costs, with interest alone being about more than 1.7 billion VND per day.
On July 21, 2025, the Government issued Resolution 212/NQ-CP to remove bottlenecks for Ho Chi Minh City to restart the project, aiming to complete and put it into operation in 2026.
