Also attending were Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung, Minister of Transport Nguyen Van Thang, Deputy Head of the Central Internal Affairs Commission Nguyen Huu Dong, Secretary of the Hoa Binh Provincial Party Committee Nguyen Phi Long, Secretary of the Son La Provincial Party Committee Hoang Quoc Khanh, Secretary of Dien Bien Provincial Party Committee Tran Quoc Cuong, along with leaders of ministries, branches, leaders and former leaders of the two provinces of Hoa Binh and Son La, and a large number of people from the two provinces.

Prime Minister attends groundbreaking ceremony of Hoa Binh - Moc Chau Expressway project

The Hoa Binh - Moc Chau Expressway Project (section from Km19+000 to Km53+000 in Hoa Binh province), with a length of about 34km; total investment capital for phase 1 is about 10 trillion VND, with Hoa Binh province as the managing agency, is of utmost importance, creating the premise for completing the CT.03 expressway.

On behalf of the Government, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh sent his warm regards and best wishes to the Party Committee, authorities, and people of all ethnic groups in Hoa Binh province and localities where the project passes.

The Prime Minister emphasized that practice has proven that infrastructure, especially transport infrastructure, brings clear results in socio-economic development. Wherever transport infrastructure is developed, new development space will be opened up, many urban areas, industrial parks, services, and tourism areas will be formed, land funds will be exploited effectively, logistics costs will be reduced, and national competitiveness will be enhanced.

The Prime Minister said that in the period 2000 - 2021, the whole country has invested in and put into operation only 1,163 km of expressways. While the Resolution of the 13th National Party Congress sets a target of 5,000 km of expressways nationwide by 2030, to complete this target, by 2025 we need to achieve 3,000 km and by 2026 - 2030 we strive to have an additional 2,000 km of expressways.

Prime Minister speaks at the groundbreaking ceremony.

To realize this goal, over the past time, the Party, State and Government have always paid attention and devoted huge resources with many forms of investment and appropriate policies to mobilize socialization for infrastructure development, focused and key investments and achieved many practical results such as the project to upgrade Dien Bien and Phu Bai airports; expand Cat Bi airport, Tan Son Nhat T3 passenger terminal, Noi Bai T2 passenger terminal; Long Thanh international airport project: Basically resolved all existing problems, difficulties and obstacles, striving to complete in 2025; Completed the 500kV circuit 3 project Quang Trach (Quang Binh) - Pho Noi (Hung Yen) within 6 months, overcoming countless difficulties and challenges.

From 2021 to now, an additional 858km has been completed and put into operation, bringing the total length of expressways nationwide to 2,021km; construction of about 1,700km is underway, completing the goal of having 3,000km of expressways nationwide by 2025. At the same time, investment preparation work is being actively carried out to soon start construction of about 1,400km of additional expressways. When implementing these projects, we have gained many valuable lessons and gained more confidence and motivation in implementing large projects.

Notably, at the recent 10th Central Conference, the Central Government agreed to 100% invest in the high-speed railway project with a cost of over 60 billion USD, connecting Hanoi, Lao Cai, Hai Phong with Kunming, China.

Regarding the Northwest region, including 6 provinces of Lao Cai, Lai Chau, Yen Bai, Dien Bien, Son La, Hoa Binh, the Prime Minister assessed that the current intra-provincial, inter-provincial, and inter-regional transportation system is very difficult, with only 1 expressway Hanoi - Lao Cai. This is one of the important reasons leading to the Northwest region's development not being commensurate with its potential and advantages.

Delegates at the groundbreaking ceremony

The Prime Minister emphasized that the concentration of investment resources and the completion of the Hanoi - Hoa Binh - Son La - Dien Bien Expressway (CT.03) has an important strategic significance, promoting connectivity between the Northwestern provinces, between the Northwestern provinces and Hanoi and the Red River Delta provinces; creating new momentum to attract investment, develop economic sectors, contributing to promoting rapid and sustainable socio-economic development, ensuring security and defense for the Northwestern region, opening up new development space, bringing the Northwestern region to a new and stronger development period. The Prime Minister suggested that Hoa Binh, Son La, and Dien Bien, which have made their determination, must be even more determined, and have made their efforts, must try even harder, to successfully complete the set goals.

The Prime Minister pointed out that the implementation of the Hoa Binh - Moc Chau Expressway Project has 6 major meanings: "Implementing the Party and State's policies and guidelines on infrastructure development, especially transport infrastructure; Implementing the policy of decentralization and assigning responsibility to localities for infrastructure investment and development in the spirit of the 10th Central Conference, which is "locality decides, locality does, locality takes responsibility"; Contributing to creating new momentum and development space for the Northern midland and mountainous region, the Red River Delta, including Hoa Binh province, creating regional linkages, reducing transportation costs, facilitating traffic for people in the Northwest with neighboring provinces; Promoting economic restructuring, production and business activities in agriculture, industry, trade, services, tourism, participating in global national supply chains, creating jobs and livelihoods for people, contributing to improving the spiritual and material life of the people; Contributing to building a defense zone on national defense and security; Respond to the people's expectations and repay those who sacrificed for the Northwest region."

The Prime Minister assessed that this project has overcome many difficulties and challenges, shortened investment procedures by 1 year, and proposed that the two provinces of Hoa Binh and Son La make greater efforts, strive to speed up the project's progress and continue to shorten the construction time; Decentralize investment to localities as the governing bodies; Prioritize investment capital, balance central resources to implement the project.

On behalf of the Government, the Prime Minister acknowledged and commended the efforts of Hoa Binh province, the Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of Planning and Investment and relevant ministries, branches, agencies and units.

Regarding the key tasks and solutions in the coming time, the Prime Minister pointed out that the project's commencement demonstrates the great efforts of the province and related ministries and branches, however, this is only the beginning. The project has many construction items going through complex terrain, weather conditions that are prone to rain, floods, landslides, etc.

In order for the project to be completed soon and to play its role as a driving force for socio-economic development and create positive and strong changes for Hoa Binh province, the Prime Minister suggested that the entire political system, from youth, women, and organizations, must participate in site clearance and construction, with the spirit of "unanimity from top to bottom, smooth operation across the board", "support from the front and the back, one call, all respond", not letting construction enterprises "lonely on the construction site".

Clearly assign people, work, responsibilities, time, products, and results that can be weighed, measured, and counted.

Promote propaganda and build a vibrant emulation movement at the construction site. Whoever does well must be praised immediately, and whoever does wrong must be criticized and punished. We must promote the combined strength and mobilize the entire political system to participate.

Do a good job of propaganda and mobilization of people, promote patriotism, sense of responsibility, national pride; create consensus and unanimity so that people voluntarily hand over residential land and production sites, together with the government and construction units to participate in construction of works and projects. The Prime Minister noted that when people relocate, we must pay attention to the people and encourage on-site resettlement.

Investors and construction units must carry out the project with high determination, great effort, drastic action, focus on key points, complete each task; actively coordinate closely with localities; mobilize all local forces with sufficient capacity to participate.

The Prime Minister directed Hoa Binh province to shorten the construction time and complete it before December 31, 2027, ensuring safety, quality, and technical progress; At the same time, build phase 2 of the project to expand it to 4 lanes.

The Prime Minister requested that contractors, consultants and supervisors must ensure that construction is on schedule and of good quality, without delay, and must fight against waste, corruption and negativity. They must strive with great determination, carry out construction with the spirit of "overcoming the sun and overcoming the rain", "eating quickly, sleeping urgently", "working in 3 shifts", "through holidays and Tet", "not enough work during the day, working at night", "only discussing work, not backing down" so that the project can be completed earlier than planned in the spirit of "If you commit, you must do it, if you do it, you must do it effectively, it must come to life, bringing happiness and prosperity to the people". Together with the locality, complete the project by December 31, 2027. Fight against negativity, corruption and negativity in project implementation.

Ministries, branches and localities continue to complete procedures and arrange capital to deploy the section from Km0-Km19 and complete the entire route according to the Hoa Binh-Moc Chau-Son La Expressway Planning.

The Prime Minister hopes that the people here will continue to promote the tradition of loving their homeland, sharing food and clothes, and contributing labor and money to implement the project.

Previously, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and the delegation offered incense and laid wreaths at the Giang Xeo Revolutionary Base Monument in Cao Son Commune, Da Bac District, Hoa Binh Province. The monument was the site of the province's first military training class, becoming a place to train cadres and from here the Tay, Dao, Muong, and Kinh people of the mountainous district of Da Bac were enlightened to wholeheartedly follow the revolution, rising up to seize power for the people in the August 1945 General Uprising.

Vu Khuyen/VOV