Minister of Construction Tran Hong Minh delivers a keynote speech at the conference – Photo: Ta Hai
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At the October 2025 Ministry of Construction’s monthly briefing held on November 11, Mr. Nguyen Tri Duc, Chief of the Office of the Ministry of Construction, reported that over the first 10 months of 2025, the ministry has prioritized institutional refinement, legal framework development, and administrative reforms.
Notable achievements include the finalization of three legislative projects—the Aviation Law, Construction Law, and Planning Law—ensuring timely submission to the National Assembly for approval during the 10th session. Additionally, the Ministry of Construction ranked first among government agencies in providing online public services.
In line with the Politburo’s directive on investing in schools for border communes, the Ministry of Construction promptly conducted surveys and developed design templates for “Boarding Schools in Border Communes.” These templates have been distributed to 22 provinces and cities with border communes as a reference for implementation. On November 9, construction commenced simultaneously on 72 primary and lower secondary boarding schools in these areas.
Regarding the initiative to build at least one million social housing units for low-income earners and industrial park workers from 2021 to 2030, 191 projects comprising 128,648 units have been completed nationwide. In the first 10 months of 2025 alone, 61,893 social housing units were finalized, achieving 62% of the year’s target.
The Ministry of Construction has also focused on accelerating key projects such as the North-South high-speed railway, the Lao Cai – Hanoi – Hai Phong railway, Phase 1 of Long Thanh International Airport, Gia Binh International Airport, and infrastructure projects for the 2027 APEC Summit.
Progress on the intelligent traffic management system, automated toll collection, and vehicle load control for the eastern North-South expressway projects is being closely monitored, with efforts aimed at completing 3,000 km of expressways by 2025.
As of October 2025, the Ministry of Construction’s public investment disbursement rate reached VND 40,916 billion, or 51% of the annual plan (excluding funds for completed tasks pending approval for reduction).
 The Can Tho – Ca Mau Expressway has achieved over 77% of its contract value – Photo: Construction Newspaper
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Accelerating Disbursement in the Final Two Months
Addressing the conference, Minister Tran Hong Minh noted that the ministry’s disbursement results fell short of expectations, with over VND 37,000 billion remaining to be disbursed in the final months. He criticized six project management units for their slow disbursement rates: the My Thuan Project Management Unit, Maritime and Inland Waterway Project Management Unit, Project Management Unit 85, Railway Project Management Unit, Project Management Unit 7, and Vietnam Aviation Administration.
“Project management units must deploy skilled personnel to resolve documentation bottlenecks, ensure efficient project settlement, and expedite public investment disbursement. All completed work volumes, especially for the eastern North-South expressway projects, must be promptly processed for payment without delays,” the Minister directed.
The Minister instructed the Department of Construction Economics and Investment Management to urgently establish inspection teams to assess disbursement progress for at-risk projects and assign department leaders to on-site support, addressing challenges faced by project owners and contractors.
Maintaining the December 19 Opening Deadline
The Vietnam Road Administration must collaborate closely to resolve issues and expedite the completion of expressway projects by December 19, particularly delayed projects such as Tuyen Quang – Ha Giang, Dong Dang – Tra Linh, and Huu Nghi – Chi Lang.
The Minister also highlighted five ministry-managed projects scheduled for December 19 opening that lack progress: Bien Hoa – Vung Tau, Quy Nhon – Chi Thanh, Chi Thanh – Van Phong, Can Tho – Hau Giang, and Hau Giang – Ca Mau.
For seven road projects slated for 2025 commencement but yet to start, including the expansion of the Ho Chi Minh City – Trung Luong – My Thuan Expressway, completion of Nui Vung and Cu Mong tunnels, Ninh Cuong Bridge over the Ninh Co River on National Highway 37B, expansion of the Cam Lo – La Son Expressway, completion of the Than Vu Tunnel, and the Lao Cai – Hanoi – Hai Phong Railway, the Minister insisted on a December 19 groundbreaking.
“Challenges must be reported and resolved promptly. Project commencement not only enhances infrastructure capacity but also facilitates faster disbursement,” the Minister emphasized.
Regarding the Lao Cai – Hanoi – Hai Phong Railway, with investment approval and updated standards in place, the Minister urged the project owner to proceed concurrently with all steps. The Railway Project Management Unit and consultants should collaborate with local authorities on route planning, finalize land acquisition documentation, and promptly report 2025 capital needs for timely disbursement.
During the conference, Minister Tran Hong Minh tasked departments and affiliated units with several additional responsibilities, including finalizing legal documents, reviewing the 5,000 km expressway plan (including local projects) in preparation for discussions with the Ministry of Finance on medium-term investments.
He also called for addressing inconsistencies in transportation sector planning to align with current needs, ensuring long-term stability; accelerating the Construction Sector Data Center and Data Sharing Initiative; expediting the pilot Real Estate Transaction Center project; and providing timely guidance to local authorities to resolve challenges.
– 08:15 12/11/2025
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