Vietnam's HCM city sets record infrastructure targets HANOI - Plans for a record amount of infrastructure building in Vietnam's Ho Chi Minh City in 2000 will require close co-ordination and new levels of efficiency in the transportation and public works sector, according to municipal officialsy. The Department of Transport and Public Works (DoTPW) has announced plans to construct VND27,000 billion worth of roads, bridges, water supply and drainage systems and other projects through the year 2005. This year alone the sector is expected to carry out 18 infrastructure projects with a total capital of tens of thousands of billions of VND mobilised from different sources, as well as 16 new transportation projects works with a total State budget's allocation of VND861.4 billion. These include plans to dredge the bed of the Ben Nghe - Tau Hu canal, build the Nhi Thien Duong and Ong Lanh bridges, upgrade Cong Hoa road, expand Khanh Hoi road, and construct inter-provincial roads No.43 and No.2. At present, DoTPW has three companies involved in improving and building public works: Transportation and Public Work Construction Company, Saigon Transport Work Construction Company, and Transport Work Construction Company. However, the companies are currently only capable of handling construction projects in the VND10 to 30 billion range. Several problems were cited for this low volume of turnover, including capital and equipment shortages and an over-reliance on subsidies and other preferential policies from the State. Some local experts in the sector now suggest DoTPW should either merge its relevant companies or make them closely co-ordinate with one another to boost their collective competitiveness. In addition, it should be more active in mobilising different sources of capital for development, such as setting up joint ventures with strong businesses in other sectors. Vietnam News Agency - February 11, 2000.