Accelerating site clearance for key projects
Early June 2, Bui Minh Thanh, Vice Chairman of provincial People’s Committee chaired an online meeting with localities to hear reports on the progress of compensation and site clearance for the construction of the Ho Chi Minh City – Thu Dau Mot – Chon Thanh expressway project, the Ho Chi Minh City belt road 4 project and other related projects.
Numerous obstacles
According to reports, the component project 1 for site clearance of the Ho Chi Minh City – Thu Dau Mot – Chon Thanh expressway has total investment of over VND 8,283 billion, passing through four localities: Tan Uyen city, North Tan Uyen district, Phu Giao district and Bau Bang district, with a total length of 45.659 km. The project affects 1,651 households, individuals and organizations, with 194 cases requiring resettlement. The total land area to be acquired is 381.6 ha, of which 322.24 ha will be recovered.
To date, only 0.23% of the compensation and resettlement support plans have been approved. The total area of land handed over is 35.8 out of 322.23 hectares, reaching a rate of 11.1%. In addition, 5 households in Phu Giao district have not yet received compensation, but have agreed to hand over the land. These households are currently cutting down trees and relocating their assets to hand over a construction site area of 1.7 hectares for the project.
Tran Hung Viet, Director of provincial Traffic Construction Investment Project Management Board noted that with only 11.1% of land handed over, the low rate significantly affects the overall construction schedule. The low approval rate for compensation and support—just 0.23%—also hampers the disbursement of capital allocated for the 2025 plan.
For the component project 1 of the Ho Chi Minh City belt road 4 stretching from Thu Bien Bridge to the Saigon River, the estimated land acquisition is 239.8 ha, impacting approximately 1,451 households, including 300 resettlement cases. As of now, the land acquisition notification process has reached 96%; on-site measurements have been completed for 53% of the area; design drawings have been appraised at 34% and property inventory has been carried out for 49%. Regarding land compensation unit prices, North Tan Uyen district has not signed the decision yet. As a result, the compensation plan has not been approved and the land has not yet been handed over.
At the meeting, representative from North Tan Uyen district People's Committee cited the main difficulty as determining appropriate land compensation prices—particularly for bordering areas. Approved compensation prices between North Tan Uyen district and Tan Uyen city vary significantly, leading to public disagreement. The district has reported this issue to provincial Department of Finance and recommended provincial departments to consider solutions to ease local difficulties in public engagement.
At the meeting, relevant units also reported on the progress and difficulties encountered during the implementation of site clearance and compensation for the construction of the Thu Bien – Dat Cuoc road project as well as the current status of the water drainage system projects of Di An and Tan Dong Hiep Industrial Park (IP). For the Thu Bien – Dat Cuoc road project, the previously implemented section has been completed with 98.5% of the contracted workload finished and 94% of the site handed over. Regarding the additional section, site inventory and measurements have been completed 100%, covering an area of 28 hectares and affecting 158 households and 6 organizations. The compensation plans for phase 1 and phase 2 have been approved by the compensation council, with a total disbursement amount of VND 169.029 billion for 86 households.
For the Di An and Tan Dong Hiep Industrial Park water drainage system project, regarding the Cai Cau Canal (Xiep stream) route, on the Binh Duong rovince side in the right bank of the canal, there are still 7 cases currently completing documentation procedures in preparation for the compulsory land acquisition process; on the side of Dong Nai province in the left bank of the canal, there are still 2 unresolved land cases (under bidding package No. 11) and 2 organizations. As for the culvert section crossing National Highway 1K, the site on the Bien Hoa City side has been fully handed over while the site on the Binh Duong province side has only been 19% handed over.
Urgent need to accelerate progress
To ensure the disbursement of the 2025 capital allocated for the project and secure the construction site for the component 1 project of the site clearance for the Ho Chi Minh city – Thu Dau Mot – Chon Thanh expressway and belt road No. 4, as directed by provincial People's Committee, Project Management Board for Transport Construction Works proposed provincial People's Committee to direct the People's Committees of Thu Dau Mot City, Tan Uyen city, Ben Cat city and North Tan Uyen district to instruct their subordinate units to accelerate the progress of land measurement, inventory and public posting while collecting public feedback to approve compensation plans at the meeting. For cases with consensus, it is not necessary to wait until the end of the posting period in order to meet the "100-day high-intensity campaign" target for public investment capital disbursement in 2025 and ensure the overall progress of site clearance and compensation as planned by provincial People's Committee.
"Provincial Project Management Board for Transport Construction Works has proposed provincial People's Committee to direct relevant units to develop a plan for compensation, support, resettlement and a timeline for site handover to be submitted to provincial Department of Transport for consolidation and report to provincial People's Committee, ensuring the construction schedule of the project. Provincial Land Fund Development Center is urged to promptly complete and submit compensation plan documents to the People's Committees of Tan Uyen city and North Tan Uyen district for appraisal and approval regarding the land of Phuoc Hoa Rubber Company to ensure site clearance for the belt road No. 4 project. The People's Committee of Phu Giao district is also urged to promptly approve the compensation plan and proceed with land acquisition related to Phuoc Hoa Rubber Company's land to serve the Ho Chi Minh City – Thu Dau Mot – Chon Thanh expressway project", emphasized Tran Hung Viet, Director of provincial Project Management Board for Transport Construction Works.
Concluding the meeting, Bui Minh Thanh, Vice Chairman of provincial People’s Committee commended the efforts by departments, sectors and localities in site clearance and compensation. He emphasized the urgent need to accelerate public investment disbursement, especially for key projects. He also urged project owners and local authorities to allocate sufficient resettlement land to stabilize the lives of displaced residents.
Bui Minh Thanh, Vice Chairman of provincial People’s Committee called on all Party committees and local authorities to make transition to a "speed-up phase", urgently mobilizing the entire political system to accelerate compensation and site clearance for project construction. He particularly stressed the need to accelerate the progress of surveying and inventory; strengthen the development of compensation unit prices to support the compensation work; enhance communication and advocacy efforts to help residents understand and agree with the implementation, aiming at achieving 90% of the compensation and clearance funds transferred to local authorities for execution by June. |
| As of now, the land recovery notification for the component 1 of the clearance project for the Ho Chi Minh City - Thu Dau Mot - Chon Thanh expressway has reached 83%, with completion expected in June 2025; surveying has reached 98.73% and inventory has reached 67.6%, both expected to be completed in June 2025. |
Reported by Phuong Le-Translated by Kim Tin
