Many inter-village, inter-hamlet roads and production routes have been invested in construction to serve the essential needs of the people in Dak Glei district (Kon Tum). Photo: Khoa Chương/TTXVN
Accordingly, Vietnam has 3 national target programs, which are: new rural construction; socio-economic development of ethnic minority and mountainous areas; sustainable poverty reduction. The national target programs are implemented comprehensively in localities, creating opportunities and conditions for the poor to access basic social services, improve their knowledge, create jobs, and enhance the quality of the labor force.
Especially, the national target programs have contributed to the development of infrastructure in rural, remote, mountainous, and particularly difficult areas. The enhanced essential infrastructure system has created momentum for socio-economic development and directly benefit the people.
However, according to the Ministry of Finance, the allocation of correspondent capital from local budgets to implement national target programs has not ensured the minimum ratio as prescribed in the Prime Minister’s decisions.
Specifically, many localities have not allocated all of the capital plans for specific projects under national target programs. Besides, some localities have allocated capital for projects that do not meet the prescribed criteria in the Public Investment Law and the Prime Minister’s decisions, such as allocating investment capital to projects that only conduct “repair work”; allocating investment capital from the central budget to support beyond the prescribed levels… Therefore, the disbursement ratio of this capital source in 2023 has not met expectations.
According to the Ministry of Finance, the reason is delayed delivery of the 2022 capital plan (in June 2022), leading to localities’ inability to disburse in 2022, transferring the source to 2023 for disbursement with a large amount of capital (over VND 10,000 billion).
In addition, the 2023 plan is also assigned with a large amount of capital, amounting to VND 25,425 billion, but by June 30, 2023, this capital source was only allocated to localities with a capital amount over VND 24,216 billion. Therefore, many localities are waiting for new capital to establish project dossiers, so they have not completed investment procedures for disbursement.
The Ministry of Finance also said that the mechanism and policies guiding the implementation of national target programs are still not synchronized, not suitable to reality, need to be supplemented, adjusted, and unable to meet the timeline. Some localities have not complied with the regulations on the allocation of public investment capital in the laws on public investment as well as the level of support prescribed in the Prime Minister’s decisions.
To accelerate the disbursement progress of the capital for national target programs, the Ministry of Finance requires ministries, sectors, and localities to implement the allocation of annual public investment plans in accordance with the prescribed time. At the same time, ministries, sectors, and localities direct relevant agencies and units to review the allocation of public investment capital. Corresponding capital from local budgets for projects implementing national target programs must meet the provisions of the laws on the state budget, public investment, ensure the objectives, subjects, areas, content, and levels of support as prescribed in the Prime Minister’s decisions and take responsibility for this content.
Furthermore, ministries, sectors, and localities direct investors to focus on accelerating the construction progress, urgently complete the acceptance and finalization of disbursement procedures, avoid pushing to the last months of the year; strengthen inspection of the implementation status to identify the reasons for slow disbursement in each project. Thereby, handle in accordance with the provisions of the laws on the state budget, public investment, and guiding documents; strive to disburse the assigned plans in full.
The Ministry of Finance also notes that ministries, sectors, and localities must regularly hold meetings with investors and project management boards on the implementation and payment status of public investment capital of projects, promptly resolve difficulties and obstacles in implementing the capital plan in their jurisdiction.
