(Chinhphu.vn) - Deo Ca Group leader believes that with the expectations of 21 million people in the Mekong Delta, the Ministry of Transport will soon have appropriate solutions to implement the My Thuan - Can Tho Project to connect the entire expressway from Ho Chi Minh City to Can Tho.

On March 8, 2020, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc inspected the progress of Trung Luong-My Thuan Expressway Project. Photo: VGP / Quang Hieu

Mr. Luu Xuan Thuy, Vice Chairman of Deo Ca Group, gave an interview on related issues of the Project.

In the context of the outbreak and unpredictable developments of COVID-19 pandemic but Trung Luong-My Thuan Expressway Project is still being focused on implementing to ensure progress. So, is there any difficulty in construction during the epidemic, sir?

Mr. Luu Xuan Thuy: Yes, it has. This phase is really a challenge for us, because the COVID-19 epidemic has more or less interfered with the psychology of the majority of managers, engineers and workers who are operating and participating in the project construction. But the completion of Trung Luong - My Thuan Expressway Project is not only the determination of the investors, the management firm but also the determination of the Government, the expectation of 21 million people in the Mekong Delta.

On March 8, 2020, although having to focuse on directing the prevention work of COVID -19 epidemic, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc still went directly to the project site to check the construction schedule and encourage employees, the board of directors as well as the provide suitable direction for the project to implement well and finish on time.

Taking over the mission of implementing the project, we determine to complete strictly according to the direction of the Government, fulfill our responsibility to the Government, to the transport infrastructure of the country and to the people of the Mekong Delta. As everyone knows, from the beginning of the new year Canh Ty until the end of the project, we focus all resources to execute 3 shift/day, regardless holiday or weekday to keep up with project progress.

Up to this point, after one year participating in running Trung Luong - My Thuan project, Deo Ca Group has solved many shortcomings and outstanding problems that have lasted for many years with competent state agencies, funding units, ... and has made the progress tripled compare to 10 years earlier.

With our capacity, experience and determination, we will strive to bring the project on time to meet the common great expectations of everyone.

Of course, when working in the context of unpredictable developments of Covid-19 epidemic, we always have the most appropriate plans and scenarios, not subjective. We have put the health safety for workers first, set the rules to minimize contact with outsiders, access to construction areas are strictly controlled. Offices as well as construction sites, accommodation of employees are always ensuared safety by spraying disinfection.

The Prime Minister emphasized the need to synchronous complete and exploit the whole Ho Chi Minh City - Can Tho route. From the perspective of investors, how do you assess the urgency and difficulty posed by this task?

Mr. Luu Xuan Thuy: In the face of negative impacts from climate change, saline water intrusion in the Southwest region is becoming increasingly serious, causing many difficulties for agricultural production activities and economic development, greatly affecting the lives of the people in the region. We think that it is necessary to have early specific, optimal solutions to synchronize the expressway from Ho Chi Minh City to Can Tho to revive and promote the potential of the Mekong Delta.

Currently, on the expressway from Ho Chi Minh City to Can Tho, besides the section Ho Chi Minh City - Trung Luong has been put into operation, other sections include Trung Luong - My Thuan being deployed, My Thuan 2 bridge and My Thuan - Can Tho expressway are just in preparation phase. Of which, My Thuan 2 Bridge is implemented with ODA loans and My Thuan - Can Tho Project has not yet selected investors.

If My Thuan - Can Tho Expressway project does not have breakthroughs and feasible solutions in assigning the competent state agencies, it will lead to the procedures for organizing the bidding to select investors, contractors, the arrangement of capital will be difficult when syndicated loan banks carry out the appraisal, syndication, contract signing, disbursement ... the process will face similar trouble to Trung Luong - My Thuan Expressway Project in the past such as procedural problems, time-prolonging, … and the schedule of My Thuan - Can Tho to connect Ho Chi Minh City to My Thuan hard to go as expected.

What is the "feasible solution", sir?

Mr. Luu Xuan Thuy: Besides the completion of Trung Luong - My Thuan Expressway Project to meet the connection schedule by the end of 2020, absolutely completed in 2021, Trung Luong BOT Joint Stock Company - My Thuan has sent a report to The Prime Minister proposed a plan to adjust and expand the project scope by adding My Thuan - Can Tho section to the project in which Tien Giang province is the competent state agency, assigning the People's Committees of Vinh Long and Dong Thap provinces to conduct site clearance in accordance with the regulations within the administrative boundaries of the provinces.

Regarding the capital structure of My Thuan - Can Tho expressway, when the State budget capital is only about VND 2,400 billion, the rest is invested by the project enterprise (Trung Luong - My Thuan BOT Joint Stock Company) and Deo Ca Group with partners, investors, contractors at the projects: Deo Ca tunnel, Bac Giang - Lang Son - Huu Nghi expressway and Trung Luong - My Thuan expressway will mobilize from equity capital and other legal capital sources to meet project schedule.

With the experience of executing and managing many big projects in the Central and the North region, if we continue to be trusted and assigned, we will apply the administration and management model and mobilize available equipments, personnel at the site for deployment.

Based on these specific calculations and suggestions, it will shorten the implement time down to 24 months instead of of 41 months as normal plan, ensuring the connection of the expressway from Ho Chi Minh City to Can Tho in 2021, completed in 2022, shortens the collection time to pay back the capital for the project from 14 years and 8 months to 12 years and 6 months (2 years and 2 months shorter), making an important contribution in creating new motivation, new resources for faster development of the whole Southwest region.

However, whether or not the plan will be implemented depends on the proposal of the Ministry of Transport, and the consensus of Vinh Long, Dong Thap and Can Tho provinces. Especially, Tien Giang People's Committee is a competent state agency of Trung Luong - My Thuan Project, has accompanied with project enterprises to coordinate in solving problems of the Project that have existed for 10 years, sprinting together to connect the route by 2020.

Referring to the competent Ministry, what do you expect from the Ministry of Transport for the overall completion of Ho Chi Minh City - Can Tho expressway under the direction of the Prime Minister?

Mr. Luu Xuan Thuy: Recently Minister of Transport also accompanied the Prime Minister to inspect the construction site and saw the results of Trung Luong - My Thuan Project, Minister Nguyen Van The also mentioned about the urgency and pledged to support the exploitation of the whole route and the advantages of the above plan.

We believe that with the expectations of 21 million people in the Mekong Delta, Ministry of Transport will have a breakthrough and feasible solution to complete the My Thuan - Can Tho Project in 2021.

For us, it has been more than 10 years from the time I worked as an assistant untill now as a Standing Vice Chairman of Deo Ca Group, Deo Ca has implemented many national key transport infrastructure works such as: Deo Ca, Cu Mong tunnels, Bac Giang - Lang Son, Trung Luong - My Thuan expressways were honor to welcome General Secretary, Standing Secretariat, Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister visiting, encouraging, sharing with employees.

With the scale of investment of billions of USD, participating in solving the difficulties of projects when approaching the modern tunnel drilling technology NATM, reducing the total investment, completing the project ahead of schedule. In addition, the quality assurance system brings a safe life for people but we did not receive any information or invitation to attend the transportation industry conferences and summaries.

I also want to mention that, despite the inadequacies of the policy mechanism, a breach of contract when leaving toll stations, fee exemptions and reduce and slow disbursement of state-supported capital resulting in withdrawal. However, Deo Ca Group has implemented technical solutions to control and reduce the total investment, so when granted a credit limit of VND 29,644 billion but only use VND 17,161 billion VND, and has completed a series of projects, the remaining credit balance is VND 12,483 billion. We also implemented optimal solutions to prevent bad debts (according to Document No. 5107 / NHNN-TD dated 03). / 07/2019 by the State Bank).

Although Deo Ca Group has tried our best and achieved results through transportation products recognized by the Party, the State and the people, but I feel that our efforts have not been understand and share!

There have been judgments about our Group such as too much debt, too many projects, not definitely completed, etc. We feel disapointed when there is no sharing, understanding and sympathy with us – the people "truly say, truly do". To Deo Ca Group, besides operating to make a profit and creating jobs for workers, we are also aware of our citizens value is ceaselessly desiring to contribute efforts in building the country, in particular through quality and economical transportation products on this S-shaped homeland.

Thank you for taking the time to exchange and share through this interview./.

Trang Thi