Why Did Son Hai Corporation Lose the Bid? What Was Reported to the People’s Committee of Binh Phuoc Province?

On the evening of May 26, Mr. Dinh Tien Hai, Director of the Binh Phuoc Province Construction Investment Project Management Board, responded to VTC News’ inquiry, stating that the unit had just sent a quick report to the People’s Committee of Binh Phuoc Province about the process of selecting contractors for the construction package of the Ho Chi Minh City – Thu Dau Mot – Chon Thanh Expressway, passing through the province.

This move came after the unit received a request from the Provincial People’s Committee at noon on the same day.

According to Mr. Dinh Tien Hai, the Ho Chi Minh City – Thu Dau Mot – Chon Thanh Expressway project, passing through Binh Phuoc Province, was approved on December 12, 2024, with the Binh Phuoc Province Construction Investment Project Management Board as the investor.

The plan for selecting contractors for the project was approved on February 11, 2025. The package was widely bid online. The consultant in charge of preparing the tender documents and evaluating the bids was Van Phu Joint Stock Company, and the expert group was established by the consulting unit.

On February 24, the Binh Phuoc Province Construction Investment Project Management Board approved the tender documents on the national bidding network.

On March 17, the package was opened for bidding online with the participation of five contractors: Son Hai Group Joint Stock Company, Cienco4 Joint Stock Company, IB2500057961 Expressway Joint Venture (Dong Thuan Ha Joint Stock Company, Deo Ca Construction Joint Stock Company, and Hai Dang Joint Stock Company), Binh Phuoc Expressway Joint Venture (Dai Phong Infrastructure Construction Joint Stock Company, Vietnam Import-Export and Construction Corporation, and Lu Gia Electrical Machinery Joint Stock Company), and HCM – TDM – CT Expressway Joint Venture (Truong Son Construction Corporation and NTV Thanh Phat Trading Services and Construction Co., Ltd.)

On May 6, the expert group submitted an evaluation report on the national bidding network as prescribed.

Based on the evaluation report, the Management Board organized an appraisal and approved the contractor selection results on the national bidding network. The contractor selection results were also publicized on the national bidding network.

Accordingly, the winning bidder was the HCM – TDM – CT Expressway Joint Venture, with a bid price of VND 866.46 billion (saving VND 14.26 billion, a reduction of 1.62%). The remaining units were unsuccessful for the following reason: Their e-bids (including clarification documents) did not meet the technical requirements specified in the technical evaluation criteria of the e-tender documents.

“We have noticed that people have been sharing a document of opposition from Son Hai Group on social media, which was sent to our unit, the Binh Phuoc Province Construction Investment Project Management Board. However, as of 5:00 pm on May 26, we have not received any official complaints from Son Hai Group through either the official mail system or the national bidding network,” said Mr. Dinh Tien Hai.

Mr. Hai also stated that the contractor selection results have been announced on the national bidding network, along with the expert group’s comprehensive evaluation report. If any of the bidders have complaints about the evaluation of their e-bids, they can follow the regulations stated in Articles 90 and 91 of the 2023 Bidding Law.

“If we receive any official complaints, we will follow the prescribed procedures to resolve them in accordance with the law,” affirmed Mr. Hai.

Earlier that day, a representative of Son Hai Group Joint Stock Company (Son Hai Group) confirmed to VTC News that the group had sent a document to the Binh Phuoc Province Construction Investment Project Management Board, objecting to the contractor selection results for the construction package of the Ho Chi Minh City – Thu Dau Mot – Chon Thanh Expressway.

“For this project, we committed in our e-bid to the longest warranty period of 10 years, offered the lowest bid price, and would save the state the most money, but the investor did not choose us as the winning bidder,” said the group’s representative.

Son Hai Group alleged that the investor showed signs of violating bidding regulations, which could lead to significant state budget losses of over VND 113 billion. They objected to the investor’s decision and sent a petition to the People’s Committee of Binh Phuoc Province to resolve the issue according to the Bidding Law. They also sent documents to relevant agencies for consideration and clarification.

The Ho Chi Minh City – Thu Dau Mot – Chon Thanh Expressway project is 70km long and passes through three provinces: Ho Chi Minh City, Binh Duong, and Binh Phuoc. With a total investment of VND 25,000 billion, it is a key transportation project of great importance to the socio-economic development of the Eastern Region of Southern Vietnam.

The section passing through Binh Phuoc Province is approximately 6.6km long, with a designed speed of 100km/h and a scale of four lanes.

The starting point is at the border with Binh Duong Province, and the endpoint is in Chon Thanh town, Binh Phuoc Province. The total cost is VND 1,474 billion, of which VND 1,000 billion is expected to come from the central government budget, and the remaining from the local budget.

The project is scheduled to be implemented from 2024 to 2026. In 2024, the focus will be on investment preparation, approval of investment proposals, selection of contractors, and commencement of construction. In 2025-2026, construction will continue, with the aim of completing the project and putting it into use by the end of 2026.