Transport 'breakthrough’ required, urges new minister

Newly-elected Minister of Transport Dinh La Thang said a ‘breakthrough’ mechanism and full empowerment were needed in order for him to ensure a major transformation occurs in the transport sector.

Newly-elected Minister of Transport Dinh La Thang

Thang, who was former Chairman of the state-owned Vietnam National Oil and Gas Group (PetroVietnam), said the Government regarded transport infrastructure as a ‘bottle neck’ that need tackling in the new tenure. The transport industry would have to mobilise all resources to bring it into reality.
In addition to transport infrastructure, due attention would be paid to mitigating traffic accidents and congestion in the time to come, Thang said.
“In order to create a breakthrough on these issues, the transport industry needs to develop a mechanism that includes major changes in employment, investment forms, and project implementation procedures,” he noted.
Concerning the challenges faced by troubled ship-building giant Vinashin and Vietnam National Shipping Lines (Vinalines), Thang emphasised the need for restructuring through privatisation to heighten their equity and competitiveness so that they could take part in transport infrastructure projects.
Thang said the discussion around the implementation of an express railway project was of importance to an industrialised country and Vietnam should adopt such a project when the country was capable.