Commentary: Vietnam’s high-speed rail hits the brakes on foreign funding

Some experts wonder if a job like this can be funded solely by public funding. Given General Secretary To Lam’s plans to merge and remove some state and gathering agencies, as well as operational paralysis brought on by the powerful crackdown on corruption, these concerns are not false.

Vietnam is identify the US$ 13.38 billion Long Thanh Airport as a victory history in its emerging, separate approach to network. What will be the biggest airports in Vietnam, serving as a local cargo and passenger hub, is the main buyer, according to the state-owned Airports Corporation of Vietnam. Almost a year earlier than expected, the project is on schedule to be finished.

Should there be a need for international support, the door is open for the high-speed rail project, with safeguards in place to prevent giving up too many autonomy. Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh is in charge of issuing government bonds and mobilizing ODA and international money in case of delays under the investment strategy.

To ensure Asian hands continue to control the high-speed rail’s operations, preservation, and long-term management, foreign bids may include commitments to technology transfer and human resource education. Hanoi has previously requested that Vietnamese citizens receive scholarships for studying railroad executive there.

To ECONOMIC INDEPENDENCE

It is too early to determine the president’s method. May it adopt a hybrid technique that combines domestic and foreign sources, or will it only rely on local sourcing? The protections, however, suggest that the project is being prioritized over foreign investors and businesses.

Infrastructure projects are seen as a catalyst for the Vietnamese Communist Party’s plan to become a high-income state by 2045. Vietnam invests almost 6 % of GDP, the highest percentage in Southeast Asia, in system development, including the optimistic upgrade of its 1, 290 miles of federal highway to 5, 000 kilometres by 2030.

The benefits of high-speed bridge are self-evident. It is anticipated to contribute an additional 0.97 % to GDP growth and provide members with safe, effective ways to travel the nation. Vietnam may follow a similar strategy to maintain its level of corporate autonomy over the task.

Vietnam’s involvement with high-speed rail may also contribute to facilitating a stronger local railroad link between the Greater Mekong Subregion. Regional companions might try to emulate its self-sustainable design.

Vietnam’s high-speed road job represents more than just facilities development- it signals a fundamental change in the nation’s financial strategy. Vietnam is taking a bold new path toward real financial independence after three years of properly balancing foreign affects.

Whether this ambitious self-funding type proves responsible for a US$ 67 billion project remains an open question, and achievement is far from guaranteed.

However, if Vietnam does well, its strategy may change the way developing countries approach major infrastructure projects, giving them a fresh way to achieve proper freedom that deviates from the traditional constraints of foreign funding.

Nicholas Chapman is a Researcher at Tohoku University, Japan. This remark initially appeared on East Asia Forum.