Head of Vietnam Railway Authority Nguyen Huu Thang has just been suspended for his irresponsible speech in related to Cat Linh-Ha Dong urban railway project.

Cat Linh-Ha Dong railway project

The Cat Linh- Ha Dong railway project was estimated to cost USD552 million, of which China was to give USD419 million in ODA loans. However, the project became controversial after the Chinese contractor reported that construction costs would come out to more than USD399 million higher than estimated.

When asked about the problem, Thang told the media that the Ministry of Transport would deal with the individuals and agencies involved. "At worst, responsible officials and engineers may be fired. We did our best on this project. Look at the Nhon-Hanoi Station rail project. Construction was started twice but it is still going nowhere. No one give us praise when we achieve our goals, but everyone stirs up trouble each time a little adjustment needs to be made," he said.

In the letter announcing the decision to suspend Thang, the Ministry of Transport said that not only did Thang's words cause displeasure among the people, they also damaged the image of the entire transport sector. The ministry reprimanded Thang and asked him to submit reports by May 7 about why projects cost estimate suddenly surged.

Tran Phi Tuong, deputy head of Vietnam Railway Authority, will take over the position during Thang's suspension. 

In the meantime, the Ministry of Transport has also asked the Hanoi Department of Planning and Investment, Management Bureau of Transport Engineering Construction and Quality, Vietnam Railway Authority and Transport Engineering Design Inc. to review their own responsibilities and submit a report by May 15.