Minister Tran Hong Minh calls for decentralization to speed expressway projects

Hải Ninh

- 11/04/2026, 21:43

Minister Tran Hong Minh called for stronger decentralization to local authorities to speed up expressway development, stressing proactive resource mobilization and timely removal of institutional bottlenecks to ensure progress in the 2026–2030 phase.

Minister Tran Hong Minh speaks at the National Assembly, emphasizing decentralization to accelerate expressway development.

Speaking at the National Assembly’s first session, the Minister said the Ministry of Construction has stepped up decentralization and authorization for localities to take a more active role in executing transport infrastructure projects.

He noted that public investment projects in the transport sector have been fully compiled in the Government’s report submitted to the legislature, with many projects transitioning from the 2021–2025 phase to the 2026–2030 period while construction is ongoing.

The Minister stressed that local authorities should take greater initiative in mobilizing capital, resources and manpower to ensure project progress.

Regarding electronic toll collection (ETC), Minister Tran Hong Minh said all sections of the North–South expressway under phase 1 have implemented the system, while several public-private partnership (PPP) routes are also adopting it. Toll collection on some older national highways will be discontinued once existing contracts expire.

On institutional issues, he said the ministry has worked closely with localities to address bottlenecks and provide procedural guidance, urging them to continue reporting difficulties for timely resolution.