HCMC urges quicker execution of projects

At a meeting today, May 10, on the city’s socioeconomic performance in the first four months of the year, HCMC Chairman Nguyen Thanh Phong pointed out that projects such as the Lotte smart complex and Saigon Sports City in District 2, waste-to-energy plants, Ring Road No. 2 and the September 23 Park upgrade have lagged behind schedule.

Besides projects under construction, Phong urged the completion of plans to develop a logistics center, an exhibition center, ecommerce and a smart city.

He asked leaders of the relevant departments and agencies to quickly remove obstacles hindering the execution of these projects, including those under the management of State agencies.

Explaining the slow execution of waste-to-energy projects, Nguyen Toan Thang, director of the municipal Department of Natural Resources and Environment, said that the department has held two tenders to choose consultants for these projects, but no firms showed interest due to the low value of the contracts.

Thang proposed setting specific standards for the consultants of these projects, and tenders will be held after a certain number of enterprises meet these standards.

In addition, solutions to cope with African swine fever were also discussed.

A representative of the HCMC Department of Agriculture and Rural Development said that after the neighboring provinces of Dong Nai and Binh Phuoc reported African swine fever outbreaks, the department plans to set up more stations at the city’s gateways and along roads leading to the city to check vehicles transporting pigs and pork to the city. Dong Nai currently supplies 45%-50% of the city’s pork demand. 

The department will also tighten control over slaughterhouses and stand ready to respond to the epidemic if it spreads to the city.

Meanwhile, the Department of Industry and Trade is working with the city’s pork suppliers, remarked Pham Thanh Kien, director of the department.

HCMC Vice Chairman Le Thanh Liem stated that the chairpeople of districts must assume responsibility before the city government if their districts are home to illegal slaughterhouses.