Vietnam: Official Telegram on speeding up the progress of allocation and disbursement of public investment capital in 2024

Vietnam: Official Telegram on speeding up the progress of allocation and disbursement of public investment capital in 2024 (Internet image)

On March 22, 2024, the Prime Minister issued Official Telegram 24/CD-TTg regarding the acceleration of the allocation and disbursement of public investment capital for the year 2024.

Vietnam: Official Telegram on speeding up the progress of allocation and disbursement of public investment capital in 2024

Specifically, in order to strive for the highest disbursement rate of public investment capital in 2024 (over 95% of the Prime Minister's assigned plan), the Prime Minister requested that the Ministers, Heads of agencies, Government agencies, other central agencies, Chairpersons of Provincial People's Committees, and centrally-affiliated cities enhance their responsibility and focus on directing, leading, and coordinating the implementation of following key tasks and solutions, in a more resolute, synchronized, timely, and effective manner:

(1) Fully and strictly implementing the Party's guidelines, the State's policies and laws, and enhance the awareness of all levels and sectors regarding the role and significance of public investment in socio-economic development; recognizing that the disbursement of public investment is one of the most important political tasks that requires priority in leadership, direction, and organization. Ministers, Heads of agencies, Government agencies, other central agencies, Chairpersons of Provincial People's Committees, and centrally-affiliated cities bear comprehensive responsibility before the Government and the Prime Minister in synchronously and effectively directing the implementation of tasks and solutions stated in Resolution 01/NQ-CP on January 5, 2024, regarding the main tasks and solutions for the socio-economic development plan and the state budget estimate for 2024; the resolutions of regular Government meetings; the directives of the Government's leaders stated in Decision 1603/QD-TTg on December 11, 2023, regarding the allocation of investment plans for state budget sources in 2024; Official Dispatch 380/VPCP-KTTH on January 17, 2024, regarding the allocation and disbursement of mid-year state budget plans in 2024, and related documents.

(2) Central and local ministries, agencies:

- Urgently allocate detailed investment plans for the state budget in 2024 in accordance with regulations, without further delays. The detailed allocation of investment plans must prioritize key and focal tasks without dispersion, aligning with the implementation capacity, disbursement, and relevant laws and regulations on public investment. Urgently propose solutions for handling the remaining unallocated central state budget funds in 2024, send them to the Ministry of Planning and Investment, the Ministry of Finance, and update them on the national investment information system in accordance with Resolution 28/NQ-CP on March 5, 2024.

- Concentrate on implementing flexible, innovative, timely, and effective measures and solutions to vigorously accelerate the implementation and disbursement of public investment capital for three national target programs. Speed up the progress of key projects, national-important projects, highways, interregional projects with spillover effects, etc. The acceleration of public investment disbursement must be accompanied by ensuring the quality of projects and avoiding negative outcomes, losses, and wastefulness.

- Develop detailed disbursement plans for each project and strictly adhere to the monthly and quarterly disbursement plans. Focus on accelerating land clearance, construction progress, and resolving difficulties and obstacles related to land and resources. Enhance on-site inspection and supervision, and urge contractors and consultants to accelerate progress. Proactively review and transfer funds between projects with slow disbursement to projects with better disbursement capabilities and insufficient funds according to regulations. Assign specific leaders to be responsible for monitoring the progress of implementation, closely follow up and promptly resolve difficulties, and be accountable for the disbursement results of each project. Consider the disbursement results of public investment as an important basis for evaluating the fulfillment of annual tasks assigned by the heads of agencies, units, and relevant individuals.

- Tackle obstacles and difficulties promptly and effectively in accordance with assigned functions, tasks, and authorities. Implement clear and specific mechanisms for assignment, delegation, and coordination of authority and responsibility between agencies and units to improve investment project procedures. Continue to strengthen and improve the effectiveness of the Special Task Force for Public Investment Disbursement, led by the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee.

- Strengthen discipline and regulations in the disbursement of public investment capital and impose strict sanctions in accordance with regulations on investors, project management boards, organizations, and individuals intentionally delaying the capital allocation, implementation, and disbursement of public investment. Timely replace officials, civil servants, and employees with low capacity, inertia, causing disturbances and inconvenience. Take resolute action to handle negative behaviors and corruption in public investment management.

(3) Ministry of Planning and Investment

- Take charge and coordinate with the Ministry of Finance and relevant ministries, agencies, and localities based on the guidance in point 5 of Section II of Resolution 28/NQ-CP dated March 5, 2024, at the regular Government meeting in February 2024 to urgently review and consolidate the unallocated detailed capital expenditure plan of the central budget for 2024 of various ministries, central agencies, and localities, and submit it to the Prime Minister for comments in March 2024 before reporting to the competent authorities in accordance with regulations.

- Take charge and coordinate with the Ministry of Finance and relevant ministries, agencies, and localities to urgently review, consolidate, and report to the Prime Minister in March 2024 on the extension of the allocation period of central budget capital for medium-term public investment projects in the 2021-2025 period, in accordance with the guidance in point a of item 3 of Directive 06/CT-TTg dated February 15, 2024.

- Coordinate with the Ministry of Finance to closely monitor the progress of disbursement by central ministries, agencies, and localities, and timely report to the Prime Minister every month to issue flexible, decisive, effective measures that are aligned with the practical situation in order to achieve the disbursement target for public investment capital in 2024. Publicly announce the monthly disbursement results of central ministries, agencies, and localities on the Government's e-Portal, the e-Portal of the Ministry of Planning and Investment, and on various media outlets. Propose that the Government and the Prime Minister commend ministries, agencies, and localities with good disbursement performance, and criticize those with slow disbursement at the regular monthly Government meetings.

- Continue to review the legal regulations related to public investment to consider revisions, amendments within the authority or report and propose revisions and amendments to the competent authorities in order to promote the allocation and disbursement of public investment projects and ensure effective use of capital.

(4) Ministry of Finance

- Direct the State Treasury to promptly make payments for completed work and promote online public service payments through the State Treasury to save time and travel costs for investors and ensure transparency in the process of handling payment documents at payment control agencies. Direct relevant units to ensure payment sources for projects and promptly resolve issues related to settlement, negotiation, signing agreements, and withdrawing funds from donors. Urgently review and approve the annual state budget investment plan on Tabmis according to regulations.

- Coordinate closely and timely with the Ministry of Planning and Investment in reviewing, consolidating, assigning, and adjusting the central budget investment plan for 2024, ensuring compliance with the working regulations of the Government.

(5) Target program ministries and agencies (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs, Committee for Ethnic Affairs) review the difficulties, obstacles, and recommendations of ministries, sectors, and localities in the process of allocating and disbursing funds for the 03 National Target Programs, coordinate with the Ministry of Planning and Investment, Ministry of Finance, and relevant agencies in handling them according to regulations, and timely report to the competent authorities on matters exceeding their authority.

(6) Working groups of the Prime Minister established under Decision 235/QD-TTg dated March 14, 2023, and and working delegations of Government Members under Decision 435/QD-TTg dated April 24, 2023, continue to enhance their operational effectiveness, actively strengthen inspections, urge timely resolution of difficulties and obstacles, and accelerate the disbursement of public investment capital in 2024.

More details can be found in Official Telegram 24/CD-TTg, dated March 22, 2024.

Ho Quoc Tuan

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