Decision No. 206/2004/QĐ-TTg on Approving the Strategy for the Development of Transport in Vietnam until 2020

DECISION

Regarding the approval of the Strategy for the Development of Transport in Vietnam until 2020

Vietnam until 2020

PRIME MINISTER

Pursuant to the Law on Organization of the Government dated December 25, 2001;

Considering the proposal of the Ministry of Transport (Report No. 5145/GTVT-KHĐT dated December 31, 2002 and Document No. 3406/2004/BGTVT dated July 8, 2004) and the opinions of the Ministry of Planning and Investment (Documents No. 4955 BKH/KCHT&ĐT dated August 14, 2003 and No. 1026 BKH/KCHT&ĐT dated February 26, 2004) on the Strategy for the Development of Transport in Vietnam until 2020,

DECISION:

Article 1. Approve the Strategy for the Development of Transport in Vietnam until 2020 with the following main contents:

I. VIEWS AND OBJECTIVES FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF TRANSPORT IN VIETNAM UNTIL 2020

1. Development Orientation

- Transport is an important component of economic and social infrastructure, requiring priority investment for development at a faster pace and sustainably to create a foundation for economic and social development, consolidate national security and defense, and serve the industrialization and modernization of the country.

- Maximizing the advantages of geographical location and natural conditions to develop a rational transport system, reducing transportation costs, and saving social expenses.

- Developing transport infrastructure in a coordinated and rational manner, gradually moving towards modernization, forming a complete, interconnected network among different modes of transport, regions, urban and rural areas nationwide.

- Emphasizing maintenance work to ensure efficient and sustainable exploitation of existing transport infrastructure. At the same time, intensifying upgrading and building new transport infrastructure projects that yield significant economic and social benefits, primarily the North-South axis, key economic zones, international transport corridors, major cities, and regions crucial for poverty reduction strategies and serving national security and defense.

- Developing transport services in a modern direction with reasonable costs, safety, minimizing environmental impacts, and energy conservation; applying advanced transport technologies, particularly multimodal transport; quickly updating transport means; improving the quality of transport services, while rapidly developing foreign transport systems, especially air and maritime transport, to enhance competitiveness and facilitate the process of international integration.

- Prioritizing the renovation and deep investment to enhance the effectiveness of existing transport industry facilities, quickly adopting and approaching modern technology, gradually increasing the rate of localization, and eventually achieving self-production of transport means, especially in shipbuilding and automobile manufacturing for domestic use and export to countries in the region and worldwide.

- Developing an external transport system closely linked with the internal transport system, timely meeting the requirements of international and regional integration.

- Developing urban transport in a direction that prioritizes public transport, ensuring modernity, safety, convenience, and environmental protection. For large cities (initially Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City), quickly developing mass transport methods (railway transport); controlling the increase in individual transport vehicles; solving traffic congestion and urban traffic safety issues.

- Vigorously developing local transport to meet the requirements of agricultural and rural industrialization and modernization, connecting local transport networks with the national transport network, creating continuity, smoothness, and reasonable transportation costs suitable for the majority of the population.

- Mobilizing all resources, particularly focusing on domestic resources in various forms and from all economic sectors to invest in transport development. Socializing investment in transport infrastructure, primarily road infrastructure: users of transport infrastructure have the responsibility to contribute to maintaining and reinvesting in transport infrastructure.

- Allocating reasonable land for the development of transport infrastructure and ensuring safe transport corridors. Land planning for transport infrastructure must be consistent and implemented in a synchronized and tight manner between ministries, sectors, and localities.

2. Development Goals

Transport in Vietnam must develop comprehensively in terms of infrastructure, transport, and the transport industry towards industrialization and modernization, forming a complete, interconnected transport network among different modes of transport, ensuring smooth, fast, safe, and convenient communication throughout the country at a level comparable to advanced countries in the region, serving the goal of making Vietnam basically a developed industrialized country by 2020, meeting the requirements of international and regional integration.

a) On transport

Meeting diverse social transport needs with high growth rates, ensuring increasingly high quality and reasonable costs; controlling and gradually reducing traffic accidents and minimizing environmental impacts.

b) On transport infrastructure:

In the short term, focus on bringing existing projects up to technical standards and upgrading them, combined with constructing new projects to effectively support central and local socio-economic development. From 2010 to 2020, complete, modernize, and continue to develop transport infrastructure to ensure optimal transport across the entire network. Specific goals for each sector by 2020 are as follows:

Roadways: The entire national highway system and most provincial roads must reach their respective technical standards; widen and construct new highways with high transport demands; build expressway systems on key transport corridors. International roadways must meet regional technical standards.

Railways: Complete the renovation and upgrade of existing railway lines to national and regional technical standards; gradually build new high-speed and very high-speed railway networks; prioritize the construction of the North-South high-speed railway.

Maritime: complete the expansion and upgrade of major national general-purpose ports; construct deep-water ports in three key economic regions; develop international transshipment ports capable of receiving large-tonnage vessels, meeting transportation needs.

River Transport: increase the total length of rivers and canals managed for transport; upgrade the main river systems in central and local networks to meet technical standards; invest in depth, upgrade, and build new cargo and passenger ports, especially in the Red River Delta and the Mekong Delta.

Aviation: upgrade, expand, and build new international airports with scale and technical standards comparable to those in the region. Complete upgrades and new constructions to meet international standards for domestic airports.

Urban Transportation: develop urban transportation infrastructure and public transport systems reasonably; ensure that land allocated for urban transportation reaches 15-25%. For large cities, continue to build and complete large-scale public transport systems, particularly light rail, elevated railways, and subways, to address traffic congestion and accidents.

Rural Transportation: rural transportation roads for motorized vehicles to reach all commune centers or clusters of communes, ensuring year-round accessibility. The ratio of asphalt and cement concrete roads should exceed 50%.

c) Regarding the transportation industry:

Shipbuilding Industry: build new ships with a capacity up to 100,000 DWT; repair ships with a capacity up to 400,000 DWT; gradually meet domestic demand and produce export products; strive to increase localization rates to 70%.

Construction Vehicle Industry: establish a construction vehicle manufacturing industry; rapidly increase localization rates to over 60%. The Vietnamese automobile industry will develop towards various types of vehicles: popular models meeting about 80% of demand, specialized vehicles, and luxury cars meeting 60% of demand. Export products will be produced.

Locomotive and Carriage Industry: build modern passenger and freight carriages with adequate facilities and diverse types for domestic use and export. Manufacture some spare parts and assemble modern locomotives.

Aerospace Industry: undertake maintenance and minor repairs of aircraft currently in operation. Overhaul certain types of aircraft, engines, and equipment on aircraft. Produce some aircraft spare parts to replace imports.

II. STRATEGY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF VIETNAM'S TRANSPORTATION AND TRAFFIC UNTIL 2020

1. Strategy for Developing Transportation Infrastructure

Focus on investment, renovation, and upgrading existing transportation infrastructure while constructing new important projects, prioritizing those in the three key economic regions and transportation hubs to form a modern, interconnected transportation network that links different modes of transport, ensuring smooth traffic flow, cost-effective construction and operation, and efficient transportation.

a) Along the North-South Axis:

Complete the upgrade and expansion of National Highway 1A from Friendship Pass to Ca Mau; connect and upgrade the entire Ho Chi Minh Highway from Cao Bang to Ca Mau; construct a high-speed highway along the North-South axis from Lang Son to Ca Mau; complete the upgrade of the Reunification Railway to meet national and regional technical standards, adding another track to make it double-track and electrify the Hanoi-Vinh and Ho Chi Minh City-Nha Trang sections. Study and gradually construct a high-speed railway along the North-South axis.

b) Northern Region:

Develop transportation infrastructure in the northern region, focusing on the Red River Delta economic zone, concentrating on the following tasks:

Construct new expressways: Hanoi-Haiphong, Noibai-Halong-Mongcai, Hanoi-Viettri-Yenbai-LaoCai, Hanoi-Thainguyen, Langson-Hanoi-Vinh (part of the North-South Expressway), Lang-HoaLac-TrungHa, HoaLac-TanKy, Ring Road III, Ring Road IV, and Ring Road V in Hanoi; complete the upgrade of major highways in the Red River Delta economic zone: National Highway 5, 10, 18, 12B, 21, 21B; upgrade highways: National Highway 1B, 39, 38; upgrade radial roads from Hanoi to northern provinces including National Highway 2, 3, 6, 32, 70. Connect and upgrade all highways in the northern ring road system: Ring Road I (National Highway 4A, 4B, 4C, 4D, 4E, 4G, 34), Ring Road II (National Highway 279, 12), and Ring Road III (National Highway 37); study and construct border ring roads; build new sections to avoid flooding when building SonLa hydropower station.

Construct new high-speed railways: Hanoi-Haiphong, Hanoi-DongDang; renovate and upgrade railways: Hanoi-LaoCai, Hanoi-LangSon, Luuxa-Kep-Halong; construct new sections: ThaiNguyen-YenBai, YenVien-Phala, Halong-Cailan.

Complete the upgrade and ensure 24-hour train operation on important inland waterway routes: CayDa-NinhBinh, LacGiang-Hanoi, Hanoi-Viettri, Haiphong-NinhBinh, Haiphong-Hanoi via Duong River, QuangNinh-Haiphong-NinhBinh via LucRiver, QuangNinh-Phala via ChanRiver, DaBach, KinhThay, Viettri-TuyenQuang, Hanoi-LaoCai. Upgrade and construct new ports, especially in the HaNoi-KhuyenLuong, NinhBinh-NinhPhuc, Viettri, HoaBinh port clusters.

Expand and upgrade HaiPhong and Cailan ports; build container terminals and inland container yards; construct a deep-water gateway port at LachHuyen in the northern region capable of receiving ships with a capacity of 50,000-80,000 DWT.

Develop Noibai International Airport into a competitive passenger and cargo hub meeting international standards; upgrade and construct domestic airports CatBi, DienBien, NaSan, Gialam, CaoBang, LaoCai to meet international standards for domestic airports.

c) Central Region:

Develop transportation infrastructure in the central region, focusing on the central economic zone, concentrating on the following tasks:

Construct expressways Danang - Quang Ngai, Danang - Hue - Quang Tri (part of the North-South Expressway) and the Central Highlands Expressway from Ngoc Hoi to Chon Thanh. Upgrade and construct roads within the East-West Corridor and crossroads connecting coastal areas with Central Highlands provinces, linking Vietnamese seaports with neighboring countries such as Laos, Thailand, and Cambodia including National Highway 45, National Highway 46, National Highway 48, National Highway 7, National Highway 8A, National Highway 12A, National Highway 9, National Highway 217, National Highway 49, National Highway 14D, National Highway 14E, National Highway 24, National Highway 19, National Highway 25, National Highway 26, National Highway 27, National Highway 27B, National Highway 28, National Highway 40; the Vietnam-Laos-Cambodia border route: National Highway 14C; reinforce sections prone to flooding to ensure continuous operation. Construct roads in the western part of central provinces from Thanh Hoa, Nghe An to Quang Nam. Construct the Eastern Truong Son Road from Danang to Lam Dong.

Study the construction of the Vung Ang - Vietnam-Laos Border railway section, which is a branch of the Singapore-Kunming Transnational Railway.

Construct, upgrade, and expand ports: Cu Lo, Nghi Son, Vung Ang, Chan May, Da Nang Port Complex (Tien Sa, Lien Chieu), Qui Nhon, Ba Ngoi, Nha Trang, Dung Quat; build the Ky Ha port to serve the Chu Lai Open Economic Zone; study the construction of the international transshipment port Van Phong for container ships with a capacity of 4,000 to 6,000 TEUs and oil tankers up to 240,000 DWT.

Develop the Da Nang International Airport; restore and upgrade Chu Lai Airport to become an international backup airport and a regional cargo transit hub; upgrade and construct domestic airports Vinh, Dong Hoi, Phu Bai, Phu Cat, Cam Ranh, Nha Trang, Dong Tac, Lien Khuong, Pleiku, Buon Ma Thuot, Hai Duong, and Kon Tum to meet international standards for domestic airports.

d) Southern Region:

- Southeastern Region

Develop transportation infrastructure in the Southeastern Region with a focus on the Southern Key Economic Region, concentrating on the following tasks:

Construct the expressway Ho Chi Minh City - Long Thanh - Dau Giay - Phan Thiet (part of the North-South Expressway), Ho Chi Minh City - Long Thanh - Vung Tau; Ho Chi Minh City - Thu Dau Mot - Chon Thanh; Dau Giay - Dalat, and Ring Roads III and IV of Ho Chi Minh City; complete the upgrading of National Highway 13, National Highway 14C extension, National Highway 20, National Highway 22, National Highway 22B, National Highway 55, National Highway 56.

Construct new high-speed railways Ho Chi Minh City - Vung Tau, Dian An - Chon Thanh - Dak Nong; restore and construct the Ho Chi Minh City - Loc Ninh railway.

Upgrade and renovate the Ho Chi Minh City - Ben Keo river route; Ho Chi Minh City - Ben Suc river route; construct and upgrade inland waterway cargo and passenger ports.

Renovate, upgrade, and construct three maritime port clusters:

1. The Ho Chi Minh City Port Cluster includes Sai Gon Port on the Sai Gon River, Nha Be Port on the Nha Be River, Cai Lai Port on the Dong Nai River, and Hiep Phuoc Port on the Soai Rap River, directly serving Ho Chi Minh City's import and export activities and the Southern Key Economic Region. From 2008, relocate Sai Gon Port. Invest in developing the Ho Chi Minh City Port Cluster at Cai Lai, Hiep Phuoc, and the integrated Nha Be Port.

2. The Dong Nai Port Cluster includes Dong Nai Port on the Dong Nai River, Phu Huu Port on the Long Tau-Nha Be River, Ong Keo Port on the Long Tau River, Go Dau A and B Ports, and Phuoc An Port on the Thi Vai River, mainly serving industrial zones in Dong Nai Province.

3. The Ba Ria-Vung Tau Port Cluster includes Go Dau C Port, Phu My Port, Cai Me Port on the Thi Vai River, Vung Tau Port (Bien Dinh - Sao Mai), and Song Dinh Port on the Dinh River. This cluster serves as an international gateway port, supporting industrial zones in the area and assisting the Ho Chi Minh City and Dong Nai Port Clusters.

Develop Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City into a competitive passenger and cargo transit hub meeting international standards; study the construction of Long Thanh International Airport.

- Southwest Region

Construct the expressway Ho Chi Minh City - Can Tho, Can Tho - Bac Lieu (part of the North-South Expressway). Upgrade and construct three main longitudinal routes (National Highway 1A, Route N1, N2); one coastal route (National Highway 60 and National Highway 50); sub-regional routes (Nam Song Hau Route, Quan Lo - Phung Hiep Route); transverse routes (National Highway 30, National Highway 53, National Highway 54, National Highway 57, National Highway 61, National Highway 62, National Highway 63, National Highway 80, National Highway 91).

Study and construct a high-speed railway from Ho Chi Minh City to Can Tho.

Complete technical upgrades and ensure 24/7 train operations on four major waterways: Ho Chi Minh City - Kien Luong via Sa Dec - Lap Vo Channel; Ho Chi Minh City - Kien Luong via Dong Thap Muoi; Ho Chi Minh City - Ca Mau via Xa No Channel; Ho Chi Minh City - Moc Hoa and two international routes: Cu Tai - Hong Gu, Can Tho - Tan Chau. Upgrade the coastal route from Ho Chi Minh City - Ben Tre - Tra Vinh - Bac Lieu - Ca Mau and Dai Ngai - Bac Lieu - Ca Mau.

Expand and upgrade Can Tho Port, including Hoang Dieu, Cai Cui, and Tra Noc areas to form a key port cluster for the Southwest Region. Upgrade and renovate Dien An Port for vessels with a capacity of 20,000 tons. Study the construction of a large port for the Southwest Region.

Restore, renovate, and upgrade domestic airports Ca Mau, Phu Quoc, Rach Gia, Con Son. Upgrade Can Tho Airport to an international airport, initially investing to meet domestic transport needs.

2. Transport Development Strategy

a) Overall Strategy:

Invest in balanced development of various modes of transport and transport services, ensuring the utilization of geographical advantages and natural conditions, reducing transport costs, saving social expenses, integrating with the international community, ensuring safety, convenience, and environmental protection based on:

- Utilize transportation modes reasonably: road transport mainly handles the transportation of goods and passengers within provinces on short routes under 300 km, consolidation, and cargo formation; railway transport mainly handles long-distance freight and passenger transport with large volumes over 300 km, and intercity passenger transport and public passenger transport in major cities. Marine transport mainly handles goods transportation on coastal routes over 800 km and ocean-going goods. Study and organize marine transport to enhance north-south transportation by sea to reduce pressure on road transport. Encourage and plan the development of inland waterway transport in regions with favorable natural conditions, especially in the Red River Delta and the Mekong Delta. Study and organize the transportation of goods by large-capacity inland waterway vessels to Mekong Delta river ports to increase economic efficiency, promote production in the region, and reduce pressure on road transport to Ho Chi Minh City. Air transport mainly handles long-distance and international passenger transport.

- The means of transport used must be suitable for the nature and characteristics of the transported goods, the distance of transportation, and the infrastructure conditions; gradually increase the degree of mechanization in loading and unloading.

- Invest in developing synchronized infrastructure, transport equipment, and loading and unloading technology for various transport modes; complete and supplement regulations and systems in line with international practices to strongly develop multimodal transport.

- Develop marine transport to increase the share of transporting imported and exported goods. Open new medium and long-haul international air routes, increasing the share of international passenger transport to/from Vietnam. Improve transit procedures and border entry/exit formalities to facilitate the development of land, rail, and inland waterway transit transport with neighboring countries.

b) Orientation for the development of transport means:

Roadways: Gradually limit the rate of increase in the number of motorcycles and control the growth in the number of private cars, particularly in major cities. Transport means must be compatible with bridge and road structures, meet environmental standards, allow technical speed limits, and be appropriate for the type of goods and passenger groups.

Railways: Use locomotives with power from 1,500 to 2,800 HP; freight wagons must ensure safety and axle load according to the standard of 16 tons/axle for 1,000 mm gauge and 19 tons/axle for 1,435 mm gauge; passenger carriages must be fully equipped with amenities, safety, civility, and courtesy. Focus on developing container wagons of 20 and 40 feet to actively participate in multimodal transport to enhance social transport efficiency.

Maritime: use The size and type of ships must be suitable for the type of goods, distance, and volume of transport on each route: for bulk goods to Asian countries, mainly use ships with a capacity of 15,000 to 20,000 DWT, to North America, Europe, and Africa, mainly use ships with a capacity of 30,000 to 50,000 DWT, for domestic routes, use ships with a capacity of 3,000 to 5,000 DWT; for general cargo to Asian countries, mainly use ships with a capacity of 10,000 to 15,000 DWT, to North America, Europe, and Africa, mainly use ships with a capacity of 20,000 to 30,000 DWT, for domestic routes, use ships with a capacity of 1,000 to 5,000 DWT; for containers to Asian countries, mainly use ships with a capacity of 1,500 to 3,000 TEU, to North America, Europe, and Africa, use large ships with a minimum capacity of 4,000 to 6,000 TEU, for domestic routes, use ships with a capacity of 500 to 1,000 TEU; for petroleum products, use ships with a capacity of 30,000 to 40,000 DWT for Asian routes and 3,000 to 10,000 DWT for domestic routes, for crude oil, use ships with a capacity of 100,000 DWT.

Inland Waterways: On river routes in the Red River Delta, choose tug-pusher fleets with a capacity of 1,200 to 1,600 tons, self-propelled vessels with a capacity of 200 to 300 tons, and passenger vessels with 50 to 120 seats; on river routes in the Mekong Delta, choose tug-pusher fleets with a capacity of 1,200 to 1,600 tons, self-propelled vessels with a capacity of 200 to 400 tons, and passenger vessels with 50 to 120 seats.

Aviation: For short-range passenger aircraft (40 to 80 seats), use types such as ATR72/42 and equivalents; for medium-short range (120 to 220 seats), use types such as A318/319/320/321 and equivalents; for medium-long and long range, use types such as B777-200/B777-300 and equivalents. Other types of aircraft include additional purchases of freighter aircraft and combined passenger and freighter aircraft; aircraft for domestic taxi services and rotary-wing and fixed-wing aircraft specifically serving the national economy or search and rescue operations.

3. Urban Transportation Development Strategy and Urban Transportation Nodes

a) Infrastructure:

Urban transportation infrastructure, especially transportation nodes in major cities, must be prioritized for synchronized development with other technical infrastructure projects to form a rational and complete urban infrastructure system that meets social transportation needs and effectively serves the economic and social development of cities.

Ensure that the land allocated for urban transportation reaches 15 to 25% of the total urban area by 2020, including both static and dynamic traffic.

Develop diverse infrastructure systems serving public passenger transport to ensure urban traffic order and safety and protect the environment.

Construct large-scale transportation systems for Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, including surface trains, elevated railways, metro systems, etc. In the near term, from now until 2010, alongside upgrading and renovating existing infrastructure, focus on building radial roads, ring roads, main urban axes, three-dimensional intersections, and static traffic infrastructure to support bus systems while rapidly implementing several underground metro, surface train, and elevated railway lines for Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

b) Regarding transportation:

Prioritize the development of public passenger transport, especially large-scale public passenger transport modes, ensuring that the proportion of public passenger transport in major cities reaches 25-30% by 2010 and 50-60% by 2020. Limit motorcycles while reasonably developing individual car ownership, particularly in the two major cities of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

Scientifically manage urban traffic through the use of modern technology and equipment such as signals, control stations, camera systems... to ensure smooth, safe circulation and environmental protection.

4. Rural transportation development strategy

Maintain, consolidate, and upgrade the existing transportation network according to rural transportation technical standards, meeting the requirements for agricultural mechanization in rural areas.

Focus on building new roads to the centers of communes, clusters of communes without roads, forestry farms, and rural industrial hubs. Continue constructing inter-commune and commune road systems to form a continuous rural transportation network connecting to villages and communes; link the rural transportation network with the national transportation network. Gradually build underpasses and overpasses at intersections between expressways, national highways, and local roads, ensuring traffic safety.

For the Mekong Delta, combine land and water transportation, integrate transportation with irrigation to establish land routes to hamlets, concentrated residential areas, meeting the requirement of coexisting with floods and leveraging the strength of water transportation.

Renovate and construct bridge and culvert systems to meet technical standards.

Develop small motorized transport vehicles suitable for rural transportation infrastructure conditions. Transport costs should be affordable for the majority of residents.

5. Traffic safety and environmental protection

a) On traffic safety:

The development of the transportation system must be linked to ensuring safety and gradually reducing traffic accidents.

To ensure traffic safety, during the development of the transportation system, it is necessary to:

- Transportation works and transport vehicles must meet technical standards and quality requirements for traffic safety.

- Improve the training quality of transport vehicle operators.

- Strengthen propaganda and education work, raising awareness of traffic law compliance.

- Study and promulgate traffic safety regulations.

b) On the environment in transportation:

- Conduct investigations, analysis, and assessment of environmental impacts during the construction and operation of the transportation system.

- Study and propose solutions to minimize environmental impacts from the construction and operation of transportation.

- Research mechanisms and policies for environmental protection in the field of transportation.

III. MAJOR POLICIES AND SOLUTIONS

1. Policies and solutions to create capital for the development of transportation infrastructure

Increase annual state budget investment in transportation infrastructure to reach about 3% of GDP.

Leverage internal resources, creating favorable conditions to attract investment from various economic sectors for transportation infrastructure in various forms: issuing bonds, build-operate-transfer (BOT); build-transfer (BT); invest-collect fees-repay, transfer fee collection rights..., striving to ensure 40-50% of total infrastructure investment needs.

Continue to take advantage of various forms of official development assistance funds from abroad.

Study the establishment of a maintenance and development fund for transportation infrastructure, initially focusing on a highway maintenance fund.

Implement appropriate compensation and land clearance policies to reduce investment costs.

2. Policies and solutions for transportation development

a) Encourage all economic sectors to participate in transportation business:

Encourage all economic sectors to participate in transportation business. Promote the shareholding reform of state-owned enterprises. State-owned enterprises should only account for a necessary proportion to serve remote areas, islands, and other urgent tasks.

b) Create a fair competitive environment for all economic sectors participating in transportation business:

Transport vehicles of all economic sectors participating in transportation business must meet technical safety and environmental protection standards, and fulfill their obligations to the state (taxes, fees...) at reasonable levels.

Establish a reasonable fare system among different transportation modes for the state to act as a macro-regulator.

c) Improve the quality of transportation and transportation services:

Upgrade transportation equipment in terms of quality and type to meet cargo and passenger transportation requirements on various routes and infrastructure conditions.

Vigorously develop multimodal transportation in cargo transportation, ensuring "door-to-door" service, providing convenience for shippers.

Regularly inspect the quality of transportation equipment and services on inter-provincial passenger routes to protect passengers' rights.

Diversify transportation services to ensure speed, safety, convenience, and cost savings.

d) Strengthen and promote the role of agencies and associations protecting consumers' rights in transportation and transportation services:

Organize and arrange the system of agencies, organizations, and associations protecting consumer rights. Establish a nationwide network of offices.

Agencies and associations participate in regular and surprise inspections, promptly addressing violations by transport operators.

Strengthen publicity to raise consumer awareness of their rights and encourage cooperation with relevant agencies and associations when their rights are infringed upon.

3. Policies and solutions for the development of the transportation industry

Allow domestic transportation industry facilities to engage in joint ventures with foreign entities to leverage capital, technology, and management experience, while establishing a localization roadmap.

Establish financial leasing companies with state guarantees to facilitate enterprises' access to and use of various sources of finance, new technologies, and modern technical equipment.

4. Solutions and policies for developing urban transportation

a) Investment in diverse urban transportation infrastructure development: Rapidly construct modern urban transportation infrastructure to meet the rapidly increasing travel needs in major cities and address traffic congestion. Accelerate the construction of large-scale transportation systems such as ground-level electric trains, elevated railways, and subway systems in major cities. The State prioritizes and focuses investment from urban transportation infrastructure projects on Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

b) Development of public passenger transport:

Encourage all economic sectors to participate in public passenger transport. When necessary, the State establishes public utility enterprises to ensure public passenger transport.

Support investment in public passenger transport enterprises through various forms such as preferential credit, post-investment purchase discounts, or subsidies.

Encourage the use of domestically assembled vehicles for public passenger transport, such as deferred payment, installment purchases, and preferential policies for importing spare parts and equipment not yet produced domestically.

Exempt or minimize taxes and fees according to the law for enterprises participating in urban public passenger transport, including corporate income tax, value-added tax, land use tax, and rent for land used as waiting rooms, parking lots, and maintenance stations, port usage fees, and road tolls for public passenger transport vehicles.

Improve the quality of public passenger transport services. Only allow enterprises meeting the standards (vehicles, service quality, etc.) to participate in public passenger transport to ensure passengers' interests.

5. Solutions and policies for developing rural transportation

Continue to vigorously implement the policy of "State and people working together" to both mobilize resources from the people and enhance their sense of responsibility towards local transportation infrastructure development.

Prioritize Official Development Assistance (ODA) funds and local budgets for rural transportation development linked to agricultural industrialization and modernization.

Support enterprises undertaking transportation to remote areas, islands, economically disadvantaged regions, and serving urgent tasks.

Reduce registration fees and charges for vehicles in rural and remote areas.

Implement preferential credit policies for enterprises and individuals purchasing road and waterway transportation equipment to serve rural and remote areas.

6. Solutions regarding international integration and competition

Develop international transportation infrastructure (airports, seaports, transnational railway and highway axes) with advanced technical and technological standards comparable to those of countries in the region, capable of accommodating large ships and aircraft.

The State prioritizes capital and resources to develop a modern Vietnamese fleet and aircraft, enhancing international competitiveness.

Develop synchronized transportation means and loading/unloading technology with standards compatible with regional and international counterparts.

Improve service quality and standards, minimize transportation time, and ensure that technical indicators of transportation means reach regional levels.

Reduce transportation costs, ensuring competitive rates with regional and global markets.

Reorganize and restructure transportation units to form strong groups capable of integrating and competing in the region and globally. Diversify joint ventures between domestic transportation units and foreign enterprises with favorable equity contributions for Vietnam in the long term.

Utilize modern production lines, improve the skills of workers and management personnel in the transportation industry.

Apply laws and policies encouraging transportation to and through Vietnam in line with international practices.

Develop specific integration roadmaps.

7. Solutions and policies for reforming organizational management and administrative procedures

Study and reorganize management units according to functional models, separating state management functions from business production management, reasonably delegating and decentralizing management to streamline the management structure and enhance its effectiveness.

Reform state-owned enterprise operations, accelerate shareholding programs, implement policies of transferring, selling, contracting, and leasing state-owned enterprises. Encourage all economic sectors to participate in public services such as constructing and maintaining transportation infrastructure and urban traffic environments through concession rights, revenue-sharing, and cost-sharing arrangements for infrastructure maintenance to reduce costs, improve project quality, and increase reinvestment capital.

Strengthen strict planning management at all levels.

Improve the organization and perfect the regulatory system for rural transportation management (at district and commune levels).

Draft the Railway Traffic Law; supplement and amend the Maritime Code, Civil Aviation Law, and other regulatory documents to establish a legal basis for state management of transportation.

8. Policies applying new science and technology

Research, develop, and perfect standards, procedures, regulations... in surveying, design, construction, acceptance, maintenance, materials, and technologies used in transportation infrastructure construction. Encourage the application of new technologies and materials.

Gradually modernize transportation means, apply advanced technologies and transportation methods, particularly multimodal transportation.

Encourage the purchase of construction machinery and equipment with technology transfer. Limit the importation of used equipment; prohibit the importation of outdated technology and equipment.

Apply information technology in operation and management.

Áp dụng công nghệ thông tin vào điều hành và quản lý.

Enhance the capacity of research institutes and testing centers...

9. Human resource development policies

Implement training and retraining programs to improve the qualifications and capabilities of the management staff and skilled workers.

Expand various forms of training: short-term, long-term, domestic and foreign training, classroom-based training and self-study.

Apply open recruitment through competitive examinations and probationary periods.

Implement preferential treatment for maintenance and infrastructure workers in remote areas, arduous and dangerous jobs, and those working far from the mainland for extended periods...

Article 2. Implementation

1. The Ministry of Transport shall take the lead and coordinate with relevant ministries, sectors, provincial people's committees under the central government to implement the "Transport Development Strategy of Vietnam until 2020"; regularly update and propose supplements to the Strategy in line with national development requirements.

2. Ministries, sectors, provincial people's committees under the central government shall, within their respective functions, tasks, and authorities, cooperate with the Ministry of Transport to carry out the tasks and goals of the transport development strategy, ensuring consistency and synchronization with the implementation of economic and social development plans at the sectoral and local levels.

Article 3. This Decision takes effect fifteen days from the date of publication in the Official Gazette.

Article 4. Ministers, Heads of ministerial-level agencies, Heads of agencies under the Government, Chairpersons of People's Committees of provinces and centrally governed cities are responsible for implementing this Decision.