Ca Mau Agricultural and Rural Development Project Management Board: Advancing Green Agricultural and Rural Transformation

Agriculture drives local economic growth, and strong agricultural and rural infrastructure is essential for sustainable, high-value development. The Ca Mau Agricultural and Rural Development Project Management Board has actively worked with agencies and localities to address challenges in key projects. Mr. Tran Thanh Ut, Director of the board, discussed its activities with our reporter.

How has the board effectively fulfilled its functions and contributed to recent agricultural and rural development?

In the past time, the board has invested in constructing many important projects and contributed to completing the modern and synchronous agricultural and rural infrastructure system to bring a new and prosperous look to the countryside of the province. The board's completed and operational projects have successfully met their goals and maximized the value of public investment capital.

Fortunately, to remove difficulties for enterprises and boost economic development, we consistently receive strong support from the Government and the Ca Mau Provincial People’s Committee to significantly accelerate public investment disbursement. To boost public investment disbursement, we have implemented effective measures, including strict adherence to the Law on Public Investment, the Law on Bidding, the Law on Construction, and related Government directives. We are also committed to enhancing the efficiency of investment capital utilization for project development.

In particular, the board has strengthened and promoted the role and responsibility of its leader and the Board of Directors, directed specialized departments to coordinate with relevant units in making medium-term and annual public investment plans. We regard planning as a prerequisite to ensure project progress and disbursement and enhance investment effect. We have closely managed construction and consulting contracts and other costs in carrying out projects to ensure progress, quality and high investment effect. We have closely coordinated with local authorities to promptly resolve obstacles, provided the site for construction contractors and ensured security and order at construction sites.

As an investor, what is your assessment of the province's site clearance process?

Matters with site clearance and project scale adjustment cause projects to be behind schedule. To address this bottleneck, assigned agencies will conduct investigations and gather data on land market prices through surveys, including information on different land types and valuations.

In addition, the board proposed a policy to separate site clearance into an independent project or site clearance as a project component. Furthermore, when site clearance projects are managed separately, we will clearly define the responsibilities of each relevant agency, identify those liable for sanctions, and enhance the accountability and responsiveness of involved parties. Ensuring that investment projects are developed on cleared sites will facilitate smooth construction and prevent delays, making site clearance an integral part of project planning.

Projects undertaken by the Ca Mau Agricultural and Rural Development Project Management Board, once completed and put into use, have consistently demonstrated effectiveness in achieving their set goals

With 2024 being an important year, what goals and tasks does the board have to support local socioeconomic development in alignment with the 16th Provincial Party Congress's objectives for 2020-2025?

2024 is considered the pivotal year to successfully implement the 5-year plan (2020-2025). Therefore, the Ca Mau Agricultural and Rural Development Project Management Board will continue to strictly abide by the Law on Public Investment, the Law on Bidding, the Law on Construction, instructive documents and resolutions of the Government, and directives of the Provincial People's Committee on public investment; further improve the efficient use of investment capital in building projects, transitional projects and new construction projects invested by the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Ca Mau Agricultural and Rural Development Project Management Board. We will intensify monitoring and expedite capital disbursement, proposing prudent capital rollover strategies while ensuring strict adherence to regulations. We will also address debts and overdue advances comprehensively. Our goal is to fully disburse the 2024 capital plan.

We will reinforce the accountability of unit managers in overseeing administrative discipline and strictly address both individual and collective responsibilities of employees who cause delays or complications in handling related tasks. In particular, we will ensure optimal conditions for completing investment procedures and enhancing project feasibility. We are committed to collaborating with the agricultural sector to advance green, circular, and high-value production.

Thank you very much!

By Duy Anh, Vietnam Business Forum