New North-South Expressway price tag ‘doesn’t look good’: lawmakers

Lawmakers expressed concerns about the very high price tag for 12 new sections of the North-South Expressway, saying the government needs to provide more specific figures.

The government’s proposal to build another 729 kilometers of the North South Expressway at VND200 billion ($8.69 million) per kilometer (land acquisition costs included) was a matter of concern, chairman Nguyen Phu Cuong said at a meeting of the parliament’s Finance and Budget Committee Thursday (6/1). The big price tag, combined with the plan to select a contractor instead of using a bidding process, “doesn’t look good”, he said.

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Hoang Thuy, Viet Tuan