Five ministries review emergency status proposal for metro extension

The Government Office has issued a document to the Ministries of Public Security, Finance, Construction, Justice, and Agriculture and Environment, as well as the Dong Nai City People’s Committee, conveying directions from Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Tuc regarding a special mechanism for granting emergency construction status to the project extending the Ben Thanh – Suoi Tien metro line to the city’s administrative center and Long Thanh International Airport.

The metro extension project from Ben Thanh – Suoi Tien to Dong Nai City’s administrative center and Long Thanh Airport has already received approval in principle, with a projected total investment of more than VND65 trillion.

Under the directive, the five ministries are tasked with reviewing Dong Nai City’s proposal to grant the project emergency construction status. In particular, they are asked to clarify the proposal’s compliance with legal regulations, the appropriateness of the requested special mechanisms, the competent authority for decision-making, and other related issues.

Their opinions must be sent to the City People’s Committee before May 10, 2026, so that the city can review them, incorporate feedback, and submit a report to the Prime Minister.

Earlier, on April 21, 2026, the Provincial People’s Committee (now the Dong Nai City People’s Committee) submitted a proposal to the Prime Minister seeking emergency construction status for the metro extension project.

According to the submission, investing in a metro line directly connecting Ho Chi Minh City with Dong Nai City’s administrative center and Long Thanh Airport would provide a fundamental solution for large-capacity passenger transport, ease pressure on the road network, strengthen interregional connectivity, maximize the operational efficiency of Long Thanh Airport, and create momentum for urban and service development based on transit-oriented planning.

According to the proposal, the project falls under cases requiring urgent implementation as stipulated in Point b, Clause 1, Article 130 of the 2020 Construction Law. Therefore, the application of the emergency construction mechanism is considered both necessary and well-founded, both legally and practically.

For this reason, Dong Nai City has asked the Prime Minister to consider and issue a formal decision granting emergency construction status to the metro extension project.

The metro extension project will be implemented across both Ho Chi Minh City and Dong Nai, with its starting point connected to the existing Ben Thanh – Suoi Tien metro line and its endpoint at Long Thanh Airport. The project is scheduled for implementation during the 2026–2030 period under a public-private partnership (PPP) model.

It has already been approved in principle by the Dong Nai City People’s Council, with an estimated total investment of more than VND65 trillion.

By P. Tung – Translated by M.Nguyet, Minho