(VOVWORLD) - Since the beginning of the year, activities at key national construction sites have been intensifying day by day. Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, head of the Steering Committee for key national projects, has chaired a series of meetings and conducted multiple on-site inspections, underscoring the importance of these projects to Vietnam’s growth in the period ahead.
 Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh chairs the 7th meeting of the Steering Committee for key national projects on March 3, 2026. (Photo: Lai Hoa/VOV) |
The clear message is that fast-tracking key national projects must be done decisively and in a fully accountable manner in order to create growth momentum for the economy.
Decisive spirit
The Steering Committee for key national projects met Tuesday in Hanoi to discuss national railway projects. At the meeting, which was connected online with 21 provinces and cities, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh delivered a strong message: don’t waste a single day, don’t delay a single week, don’t miss an opportunity in a month, and don’t fall into passivity for an entire year. The first lunar month is not a time for leisure, but a time to start up, accelerate, and make breakthroughs.
While inspecting expressway component projects along the eastern North–South expressway passing through Quang Ngai, Gia Lai, Dak Lak, and Khanh Hoa province on Sunday and Monday, Prime Minister Chinh said, “Efforts should be made to complete the work in March by mobilizing all forces and reinforcing manpower. Investors are asked to complete procedures and finish the construction of all tunnel sections, so that the entire route can be put into operation this year."
"Project owners, investors, and contractors are asked to speed up work so that traffic monitoring and operation systems and rest stops can be put into operation in sync with the expressway projects.”
 Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh inspects key transport projects, including Quang Ngai-Hoai Nhon expressway, the Duc Pho and Binh De tunnels, on March 1, 2026. (Photo: Lai Hoa/VOV) |
The Prime Minister’s directive reaffirmed the consistent viewpoint that public investment, especially in strategic infrastructure, must be a “locomotive” for growth. Construction momentum is being maintained on the North–South expressway, ring roads, airports, and railway projects.
Accelerating key national projects puts capital into circulation, creating a spillover effect in multiple sectors. Nguyen Mai Quan, chief manager of Truong Long Contractor, who is building the expressway section passing through Quang Ngai province, said, “The contractor has deployed 12 teams simultaneously at sites where land clearance has been completed. We’re speeding up progress, determined to complete 65% of the work promised to the investor and open for traffic the sections where land has been handed over. If land clearance goes smoothly, we expect to open the entire road this year.”
 Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and the working team inspect road construction sites. (Photo: Lai Hoa/VOV) |
As construction speeds up, localities are tightening technical standards, ensuring transparent bidding, and applying technology to their project management.
Do Vu Bao, Deputy Director of the Quang Ngai provincial Management Board of the Transport Construction and Investment Project, said, “We strictly abide by quality management and occupational safety regulations. We don’t want to chase progress at any cost. We must ensure project quality and post-investment effectiveness to avoid losses and waste, thereby maximizing the efficiency of state capital.”
 The construction site at Hoang Sa-Doc Soi section in Quang Ngai province (Photo: Lai Hoa/VOV) |
Infrastructure, a new growth driver
The decisive rollout of key infrastructure projects in the first quarter reflects an action-oriented government. According to Nguyen Tri Duc, Chief of Office and Spokesperson of the Ministry of Construction, “Resources should be prioritized to avoid scattered investment, focusing on large-scale national infrastructure projects with spillover effects and regional connectivity. Institutions and policies should be fine-tuned to promptly and effectively remove bottlenecks and obstacles. The Party’s guidelines and the directives of the Politburo, the Secretariat, the National Assembly, the Government, and the Prime Minister lay the groundwork for implementation.”
2026 is a pivotal year for Vietnam to complete major national projects and achieve a qualitative shift in development, affirming Vietnam’s aspiration to rise in the new era.