Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha has directed the immediate establishment of an inter-ministerial task force from the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Construction to inspect the bidding process for a highway construction package on the Ho Chi Minh City - Thu Dau Mot - Chon Thanh expressway project, specifically the segment in Binh Phuoc Province.

The directive was announced in an official document issued by the Government Office, relaying Deputy PM Tran Hong Ha’s instruction regarding the contractor selection for the expressway segment overseen by the Binh Phuoc Provincial Project Management Board.

The Deputy PM assigned the Ministry of Finance to lead, in coordination with the Ministry of Construction, the formation of the task force.

The inspection will cover the bidding invitation documents, evaluation of submitted bids, handling of complaints during the bidding process, the qualifications and experience of the expert team, and other relevant matters.

The inspection must ensure fairness, transparency, objectivity, and economic efficiency. It must also align with the government's policy of maximizing decentralization - allowing local authorities to make decisions and take responsibility - while still ensuring timely oversight and supervision.

Deputy Prime Minister Ha also requested the Binh Phuoc People's Committee to closely coordinate with the Ministries of Finance and Construction throughout the process.

The committee must direct the project owner, bidding entity, and expert group to report and promptly provide all necessary documentation and information.

The inspection must be completed and reported to the Prime Minister before June 10.

Previously, Son Hai Group submitted a formal objection to the Binh Phuoc Project Management Board over the results of the contractor selection for the expressway project segment through the province.

According to the group, on March 17, the bidding package - worth over 880.7 billion VND (approximately 34.6 million USD) - was publicly opened online. Son Hai Group was one of five bidders and submitted the lowest bid, totaling over 732 billion VND (about 28.8 million USD).

In its explanation of why Son Hai Group and three other contractors were disqualified, the Binh Phuoc Project Management Board stated that all five bidders submitted valid bids with sufficient qualifications and experience.

However, based on technical evaluations, four of the bidders - including Son Hai - did not meet the requirements. Only the consortium named HCM-TDM-CT Expressway (comprising Truong Son Construction Corporation and NTV Thanh Phat Construction Services Co., Ltd.) passed the technical evaluation.

The expert panel determined that Son Hai Group failed to meet requirements related to construction materials and equipment supply, implementation of Building Information Modeling (BIM), and availability of construction machinery and equipment necessary for the project.

The Ho Chi Minh City - Thu Dau Mot - Chon Thanh expressway spans three provinces: Ho Chi Minh City (with a 2 km approach road), Binh Duong Province (52 km), and Binh Phuoc Province (7 km).

The groundbreaking ceremony for the segment in Binh Phuoc took place in December 2024, with total investment estimated at 1.474 trillion VND (about 57.9 million USD).

Hong Khanh