Probe Initiated into Bid Rigging Scandal: Task Force to Investigate the Alleged Wrongdoing in the $750 Million Project Let me know if you would like me to tweak it further or provide additional ideas to enhance the headline’s impact.

Ministry of Finance to Conduct an Inspection Starting Tomorrow

The Ministry of Finance has formed an inter-agency task force to inspect the contractor selection process for the construction project of the Ho Chi Minh City-Thu Dau Mot-Chon Thanh Expressway, specifically the section passing through Binh Phuoc province. The inspection aims to ensure that the bidding process adheres to the principles of transparency, fairness, and economic efficiency.

The task force comprises six key officials from the Ministry of Finance’s Department of Auction Management and the Ministry of Construction’s Department of Economics and Construction Investment Management. The team will work directly in Binh Phuoc for three days, from June 4 to 6, 2025, and must submit a report to the Prime Minister before June 10.

The inspection will focus on reviewing bidding documents, evaluating bidding results, handling complaints during the bidding process, and assessing the expertise of experts involved in the evaluation process, among other related issues. The main subjects of the inspection are the Binh Phuoc Province Project Management Board and relevant units.

Earlier, the Government Office conveyed the directive of Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha to inspect the contractor selection process for this particular bid package. The Deputy Prime Minister requested the Ministry of Finance to coordinate closely with the Ministry of Construction and local authorities to ensure objectivity, transparency, and efficiency in the decentralization process, allowing local authorities to “decide, act, and take responsibility.” At the same time, decentralization must be supervised and inspected promptly to prevent violations and strengthen accountability in public investment management.

The Binh Phuoc Provincial People’s Committee has been instructed to cooperate fully with the ministries during the inspection, ensuring the provision of necessary documents and materials to facilitate the task force’s completion of their mission within the specified timeframe.

The Ho Chi Minh City-Thu Dau Mot-Chon Thanh Expressway project has a total investment of over VND 17,400 billion, with a construction period from 2024 to 2027 and a payback period of 32 years and 7 months. In the initial phase, the expressway will have four lanes, expanding to six lanes in the next investment phase, with a maximum speed of 100 km/h.

Son Hai Group Expresses Concerns Over Bid Rejection

Earlier, on May 26, Son Hai Group publicly released a document protesting the results of the contractor selection for the Ho Chi Minh City-Thu Dau Mot-Chon Thanh Expressway project, specifically the section passing through Binh Phuoc province.

The company stated that they were disqualified from the construction package worth over VND 880 billion, despite offering the lowest bid among the five participating contractors.

Son Hai Group submitted a bid of over VND 732.2 billion, saving the state budget nearly VND 150 billion compared to the package price offered by the investor. In contrast, the selected contractor, the HCM-TDM-CT joint venture, submitted the highest bid of over VND 866 billion, resulting in savings of less than VND 15 billion. We are surprised by the decision to choose the contractor with the highest bid, Son Hai Group stated in the document.

In addition to Son Hai Group, the list of unsuccessful bidders included several prominent names in the transportation industry. According to the investor, the Binh Phuoc Province Project Management Board, the reason for disqualifying these bidders was their failure to “meet technical requirements.”

However, Son Hai Group raised questions about the evaluation process, especially since the disqualified bidders were experienced and reputable companies in the field of transportation infrastructure construction.

As a result, Son Hai Group sent a petition to the Binh Phuoc Provincial People’s Committee, requesting a review of the bidding document evaluation process and the contractor selection decision. The company also sent documents to central agencies, requesting supervision of the bidding process.

The Binh Phuoc Provincial People’s Committee then instructed the Project Management Board to promptly report on the matter concerning Son Hai Group. The Committee also directed the Board to work directly with the contractor to promptly receive and resolve any reflected issues (if any), ensuring transparency and objectivity in the bidding process.

According to the Auction Specialist Organization, Son Hai Group was disqualified due to their failure to meet the technical requirements specified in their E-HSDT. The organization assessed that the contractor could not meet the requirements for materials and equipment supply, the implementation of Building Information Modeling (BIM), and the provision of machinery and construction equipment for the package.

Thai Ha