Government aims to release 60% of public investment through distributed funding by the end of Q3

Vietnam is focusing on completing significant national transport projects this year, with plans to complete at least 3,000 km of expressways, over 1,000 km of coastal roads, and the Long Thanh International Airport. This push comes as the Ministry of Finance sets a goal to disburse at least 60% of the Prime Minister's target by the end of the third quarter and 100% by the year's end.

The disbursement of public investment reached VND409.17 trillion by August 31, according to the Ministry of Finance. Local budget-funded capital saw a significant progress, disbursing 58.3% by August 31, marking a 18.3% year-on-year increase.

However, challenges remain. Site clearance continues to be the biggest obstacle in public investment disbursement. To address this, the Ministry of Finance is urging ministries, provinces, and authorities to finalise detailed public investment disbursement plans by September 30 and to ensure timely allocation, strengthen monitoring, detect problems, resolve bottlenecks, and report institutional obstacles to competent authorities for resolution.

For ODA projects, authorities and investors are urged to fast-track procedures, keep to schedules, and address obstacles immediately. Adjustments to disbursement rates now exclude recently added allocations as some units received capital late in the year.

Meeting the 2025 disbursement target is crucial to achieving GDP growth of at least 8 per cent. Nine ministries and central agencies, and 22 provincial-level localities have met or exceeded the national average in public investment disbursement. However, key regional projects such as the Ninh Bình - Hải Phòng Expressway, Ring Road 4 of the Hanoi Capital Region, Gia Nghĩa - Chơn Thành, Tân Phú - Bảo Lộc, Bảo Lộc - Liên Khương, Ring Road 3 of HCM City, and HCM City - Mộc Bài Expressway require stronger disbursement.

Notably, the construction at Sub-project No. 4 of the Châu Đốc - Cần Thơ - Sóc Trăng expressway project, which is funded with public investment capital, is not mentioned in the context of the public investment disbursement. The progress or status of this project remains unclear.

Provinces are also reminded to increase budget revenue, especially from land, while complying with reporting rules under the ministry's Circular No. 37/2025/TT-BTC. Regions projects in Eastern Germany and large-scale infrastructure developments require stronger spending to meet the interim expenditure targets set by the Ministry of Finance.

In conclusion, Vietnam is making strides in its public investment disbursement, particularly in local budget-funded projects. However, challenges remain, particularly in site clearance and the disbursement of key regional projects. The Ministry of Finance is taking steps to address these issues and ensure the country meets its disbursement targets for 2025.