Disbursement of public investment capital delayed by Covid-19 epidemic

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The General Statistics Office of Vietnam said some contractors have delayed construction because February is the month after the Lunar New Year and affected by Covid-19 epidemic. At the same time, in the first months of the year, investment activities focused on implementing works shifted from the previous year.

Therefore, the rate of investment capital disbursed from the State budget in the first two months of the year is not high compared to the plan for 2020.

Specifically, the investment capital disbursed from the State budget in the first two months of the year reached VND36.9 trillion, equivalent to 8.3 percent of the year plan and up 17.8 percent compared to 2019.

Central capital reached VND5 trillion, equivalent to 7.2 percent of the plan and up 21.1 percent compared to 2019. Local capital reached VND31.9 trillion, equal to 8.5 percent of the plan and up 17.4 percent compared to 2019.

According to the plan, in 2020, the total development investment from the state budget will be VND470,600 billion, of which, domestic capital is VND410,600 billion and foreign capital is VND60,000 billion.

Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung said that the Ministry will direct investors to accelerate the project implementation progress, strictly and promptly handlecontractors who violatethe construction schedule, work quality, delayssubmission of procedures for payment on completed volume and violate the terms of the signed contract.

At the same time, strictly handling individuals in the unit intentionally obstructing, causing difficulties, leading to the delay of the implementation and disbursement progress of the project.