Information data of PPP projects are limited

It needs more research to supplement regulations on information transparency in the whole project life circle. Source: Internet

The Ministry of Planning and Investment (MOPI) affirmed that, the publicity and transparency of PPP investment has not been in detail currently, although Law on Tender of Vietnam, Decree No.15/CP on PPP and Decree No.30/CP, stipulated on executing some articles of Law on Tender about investors selection, which regulated information transparency about PPP projects and information of investors selection process.

Therefore, in order to create an environment for information transparency for investors as well as ensure public supervision, it needs to be researched more to supplement regulations about transparency information of PPP projects (including publicity measures, transparency information in preparation process, implementation of PPP projects, and related sanctions in case the parties make mistakes with those regulations) during a project’s life circle to include progress information.

In order to solve that problem, the MOPI has suggested 2 groups of solutions. In particular, the first policy group will focus on enhancing the publicity of information of PPP projects.

One of the foundations of the accountability mechanism is the timely disclosure of information about the PPP program. The units and agencies have to implement this explanation to ensure good performance for management.

These bodies may include: Supreme Audit Institutions, legislature and people. With the Supreme Audit Institutions, MOPI believes that many state authorities have independent auditors, which will play a role in ensuring good performance of managing the PPP program implementation.

These units will review the PPP agreement, auditing the government financial statements. They can also review the activities of the PPP project, examine the points of interest or review the investment efficiency of the entire program. These assessments allow the legislature and the people to monitor the performance of the PPP program.

For legislature, in some cases, legislators can directly participate in the implementation and approval of PPP projects. Typically, they perform the responsibility of monitoring government reports.

The third object is that people, according to MPI, can directly participate in the design of the PPP project, through a community consultation process and quality monitoring service by providing different feedback channels.

By amending Decree 15/CP, the draft decree replacing Decree 15/CP has added a lot of regulations on public disclosure of PPP information. For example, ministries, branches and provincial People's Committees must evaluate the impacts of PPPs on communities and residents under the project when making feasibility studies in order to decide investment policies and consultations. The opinions of the parties on the investment in project implementation when making the feasibility study report; after signing the contract, investors have the responsibility to publicize project contract information on the national network of bidding and are encouraged to publish on other mass media.

The second policy group will be the regulations on periodical reporting, which will be used as a basis for the development of a national database on PPP.

The MOPI said that at present, the management of information databases on PPP projects is very limited. MOPI has its own site, but the information and data are incomplete and mainly from MOPI; Specific information on PPP projects and programs in ministries, branches and localities has not been actively posted on the same news website in order to facilitate timely management and information provision.

In addition, the infrastructure of information is limited; communication and promotion of PPP investment in the international market have not been effectively implemented in the past. International investors and financial institutions seeking information on PPP projects in Vietnam are now required to actively seek out Vietnam directly or through information channels from the embassy, Trade promotion organizations. This is considered a very big limitation of the current PPP program in Vietnam and should be paid attention in the coming time.

With this practice, we also learn experiences from the database systems of our country which are operating very efficiently (databases on foreign direct investment capital, ODA capital). ), MOPI said that the PPP Law should include the responsibility of competent state agencies to synthesize and periodically report on PPP data; Responsibilities of the focal point for data synthesis and database development.

Combined with the synthesis of data, the development of a PPP communication channel will improve the publicity and transparency of not only individual projects but also the PPP program in general to investors and international organizations.