HÀ NỘI — Hà Nội is under mounting pressure to accelerate public investment disbursement in the final months of the year, as Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Trần Sỹ Thanh urged drastic efforts to reach 100 per cent of the 2025 plan and create momentum for growth in the 2026–30 period.

Statistics from the municipal Department of Finance showed that the central government assigned VNĐ87.69 trillion (US$3.4 billion) worth of public investment in 2025. After adjustments, the city’s updated public investment plan totalled VNĐ107.13 trillion, VNĐ19.44 trillion higher than the Prime Minister’s allocation.

However the disbursement rate remains lower than expected, according to Director of the municipal Department of Finance Nguyễn Xuân Lưu.

He cited statistics that as of October 10 the capital city had disbursed around VNĐ44.43 trillion, equivalent to 51 per cent of the Prime Minister’s allocation and 41.5 per cent of the city’s plan. The rate is expected to reach 55.6 per cent by the end of October, ranking Hà Nội 18th out of 34 localities in terms of disbursement rate but second nationwide in absolute disbursed value, after HCM City.

“Hà Nội faces significant pressure in disbursing public investment in the last two months of this year,” he said, adding that an additional sum of more than VNĐ43 trillion needs to be disbursed to meet the Prime Minister’s plan and VNĐ62.7 trillion to fulfil the city’s plan.

He attributed the stagnant disbursement progress to several factors including slow land clearance and compensation, rising construction material prices and delays in project approval and adjustment processes.

Determination

Leaders of the city’s project management boards pledged to overcome difficulties and fully complete their assigned disbursement by year-end. Local officials are also committed to speeding up site clearance and administrative procedures.

Deputy Chairman of Đông Anh Commune Nguyễn Công Phước said the communal authorities are hastening efforts to speed up public investment, urging the city to accelerate the decentralisation of project handover to shorten settlement time.

Tây Tựu Ward’s Chairman Vũ Duy Hùng said site clearance continues to hinder the disbursement of public investment but affirmed that local authorities are striving to achieve the full-year target.

Nguyễn Xuân Đại, Director of the city’s Department of Agriculture and Environment, which has seen a modest disbursement rate of only 7 per cent of its plan, said causes for stagnation have been identified and roadmaps to accelerate six stagnant projects have been laid out.

Director of Hà Nội Department of Planning and Architecture Nguyễn Trọng Kỳ Anh said the department has set up four task forces to directly assist 126 communes and wards in the city with planning, project appraisal and approval.

Deputy Director of the city’s Public Administrative Service Centre Hoàng Văn Bằng said the centre is enhancing coordination to shorten administrative procedure processing time and ensure disbursement documentation flows smoothly and in line with established regulations.

75-day campaign

Chairman of the Hà Nội People’s Committee Trần Sỹ Thanh has given the nod to the Department of Finance’s proposal to launch a 75-day emulation campaign to accelerate public investment disbursement, running from early November 2025 to mid-January 2026.

The campaign aims to achieve the target of 100 per cent disbursement of the city’s 2025 public investment plan and complete key targets set for the 2021–25 period.

Thanh called on all departments, agencies and wards to mobilise their full capacity, act decisively and coordinate closely to meet the target, emphasising that public investment disbursement remains a crucial driver of Hà Nội’s economic growth and a foundation for the 2026–30 development phase.

“Disbursing public investment must be considered the top priority in the remaining months of this year,” Thanh said, adding that the city will promptly reward outstanding performers and strictly punish those who lack accountability or act negligently.

Leaders at all levels, especially at commune and ward level, will be held fully accountable for disbursement progress in their areas.

Thanh said the city will implement eight key measures to accelerate public investment, including weekly disbursement planning, resolving land clearance issues, flexible capital adjustments, digital transformation in investment management, strengthened administrative discipline, improved inter-agency coordination, early 2026 capital planning and enhanced accountability to actual disbursement outcomes.

With regard to key projects such as Ring Road No 4 of the capital region, national highways No 6 and 21 and Yên Nghĩa pumping station, Thanh asked for efforts to quickly remove bottlenecks and promote community dialogue to achieve consensus for land handover.

According to Bùi Thị An from the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Hà Nội, with the 75-day campaign, the city’s strong leadership and greater decentralisation, Hà Nội could fully achieve its disbursement target if key bottlenecks in land clearance and procedures are resolved.

“The most important factor is maintaining progress discipline and promptly handling bottlenecks,” An said, adding that once management and supervision mechanisms are synchronised, Hà Nội will be able to generate strong growth momentum for the next development phase.

Accelerating public investment disbursement will not only help complete essential infrastructure but also serve as a key driver for Hà Nội to achieve its 8.5 per cent GRDP growth target this year.

The capital aims for an average GRDP growth of 11 per cent in the 2026–30 period. The city saw GRDP expand by 7.92 per cent in the first nine months of this year. — VNS