Project prolonged, many bidding packages behind schedule
The project to renovate and build a drainage and wastewater treatment system in Ca Mau city phase 1 (Project) was approved for the pre-feasibility study report in February 2007, with a total investment of more than 399 billion VND. The project is expected to improve rainwater drainage capacity, reduce flooding, and collect domestic wastewater for centralized treatment before discharging into the environment.
The project uses a part of ODA loan capital, implemented in Tan Thanh, An Xuyen, Ly Van Lam, Hoa Thanh wards, belonging to Ca Mau city, Ca Mau province (old). However, according to the Inspection Conclusion, it has been nearly 20 years but this project has not been implemented, has not met the set goals and requirements.
The prolonged project has degraded the existing drainage system, causing flooding, environmental pollution, and affecting people's lives and health. Notably, although construction has not been started, the project has disbursed more than 36.45 billion VND. Of which, ODA capital is more than 13.41 billion VND, domestic capital is more than 23.03 billion VND. This amount is used for investment preparation work such as: Surveying, designing, environmental impact assessment, site clearance for wastewater treatment plants.
The inspection conclusion pointed out many limitations and shortcomings in the process of project preparation and management. Some consulting units did not fully prepare the total investment volume and costs; many items did not have a basis and calculation data, causing the total investment to be lower than the actual requirements.
The implementation progress of many contracts is prolonged. Some bidding packages are delayed by 29 months, 27 months, 21 months, 19 months compared to the contract term. Contract management is not tight, leading to many bidding packages prolonging the implementation time.
For the Water Supply and Drainage Company, the unit assigned to be the investor in the initial phase, the Inspectorate determined that there was a decision to issue a contractor appointment when the investment preparation estimate had not been approved. Notably, Mr. Nguyen Chi Thanh - Deputy Director of the company - signed the contractor appointment decision, contract and payment documents without being authorized by the Director.
The Inspectorate also determined that the management and use of investment capital was not effective, and the rate of canceled capital was still high. Some advances have not been recovered in time, including more than 212.6 million VND.
Proposal to review former Vice Chairman of province and many officials
According to the inspection conclusion, the reasons for the project being behind schedule, backlog, and prolonged include both objective and subjective reasons.
Objectively, the project uses a part of ODA capital, so it must carry out investment preparation procedures, capital registration, determination of scale, capital sources, and working with donors. The work of selecting contractors, signing technical design consulting contracts, and supervising construction with the Consulting Consortium must also ask for donors' opinions many times, and the waiting time for opinions is more than 16 months.
Subjectively, the Inspectorate determined that inspection, supervision, and acceptance were not strict; limitations in consulting documents, total investment, and project location selection were not promptly detected. Coordination with donors and contract management were not tight, prolonging project implementation time.
For the Ca Mau Provincial Construction Project Management Board, the agency assigned to be the investor from October 2015, the Inspectorate determined that the management and implementation of contracts with consulting units were not guaranteed, causing many bidding packages to be delayed.
The Department of Planning and Investment, now the Department of Finance, is identified as lacking inspection in the process of appraising pre-feasibility study reports and feasibility study reports. The Department of Construction also has limitations in appraisal work, not promptly detecting some costs that have not been fully determined.
Regarding the People's Committee of Ca Mau province, the Inspectorate determined that the lack of inspection and approval of pre-feasibility study reports and feasibility studies through periods did not fully detect the limitations of the consulting unit. The approval of the 2009 Feasibility Study Report without passing the Provincial People's Council was also determined to be incorrect according to regulations at that time.
The Inspectorate proposed that the Chairman of Ca Mau Provincial People's Committee organize a review of the role and responsibility of Mr. Nguyen Van No, former Director; Mr. Nguyen Chi Thanh, former Deputy Director of Ca Mau Water Supply and Urban Works Company; Mr. Ly Hoang Trung, former Director; Mr. Nguyen Quoc Dung, former Deputy Director of the Water Supply and Drainage Project Management Board and related individuals.
Other individuals proposed for review include Mr. Tran Linh Trang, former Director of the Construction Project Management Board of Ca Mau province; Mr. Nguyen Quoc Dinh, former Deputy Director of the Department of Planning and Investment; Mr. Ho Hoan Tat, former Director of the Department of Construction; Mr. Nguyen Viet Hung, former Director of the Department of Construction, and Mr. Duong Tien Dung, former Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Ca Mau province. Handling is carried out depending on the nature, severity of limitations and shortcomings of each case.
Previously, to remove the project, on July 29, 2025, Ca Mau Provincial People's Committee had a submission requesting policy to stop using ODA loans, and at the same time directed to review old dossiers, take advantage of the remaining appropriate contents to save investment costs. After that, the Prime Minister agreed to stop using ODA loans, allowing the project to continue to be implemented with the budget and other legal capital sources. The Prime Minister requested Ca Mau Provincial People's Committee to review the planning, adjust investment policies, advise on allocating alternative capital sources, and handle issues related to contracts and payments with contractors to soon implement the project.
