Leaving No Management Void for All Urban Public Utility Works and Assets

On the afternoon of August 13, Comrade Tran Duy Dong — Alternate Member of the Party Central Committee, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, and Chairman of the Provincial People’s Committee (PPC) — chaired a conference to hear reports on the implementation of public career services and urban public utility products and services across the province.

Chairman of the PPC Tran Duy Dong chairs the conference.

Attending the conference were Comrade Vu Viet Van — Standing Committee Member of the Provincial Party Committee and Vice Chairman of the PPC; alongside leaders of relevant departments, agencies, units, and localities.

Vice Chairman of the PPC Vu Viet Van gives comments at the conference.

According to review reports, the entire province of Phu Tho currently manages 53 parks and flower gardens covering a total area of approximately 163 hectares, along with urban lighting and drainage systems spanning across localities.

In 2026, the provincial budget allocated VND 400 billion for urban public utility tasks and the Garbage Collection and Treatment Scheme; commune-level budgets allocated around VND 1,966 billion, averaging VND 13.3 billion per commune/ward; 15 key wards alone reached an average of approximately VND 43 billion per ward.

Regarding domestic solid waste, the volume generated in 2025 was estimated at around 2,166 tons per day, with collection rates exceeding 85%; urban areas reached 97.8% and rural areas surpassed 82%. Across the province, 19 waste treatment plants and facilities are currently in operation.

Mr. Nguyen Xuan Quang, Director of the Department of Construction, reports on building the system of economic-technical norms for urban lighting, drainage, and greenery services.

Ms. Vuong Thi Bay, Director of the Department of Finance, reports on the budget allocation status for public career services and urban public utility products and services across the area.

Leaders of the Department of Agriculture and Environment report on the collection, transportation, and treatment of domestic solid waste in the province.

Discussions at the conference revealed that despite substantial investment resources, management and operation still face numerous shortcomings. Many infrastructure works have not completed handovers; databases lack synchronization; and norms and unit prices in certain fields — particularly the environmental sector — have not been updated in a timely manner, causing difficulties in cost estimation, bidding, and financial settlements.

Concluding the conference, PPC Chairman Tran Duy Dong acknowledged the efforts of various sectors and localities while frankly pointing out that although technical regulations and norms in urban management are relatively stable, norms regarding waste treatment remain lacking or slow to update. Public complaints regarding lighting systems and accumulated waste in recent times stem fundamentally from organizing, managing, and supervising phases; coordination between agencies and units at times lacked tightness, with instances of shirking and dodging responsibility.

Emphasizing the role and accountability of leaders, PPC Chairman Tran Duy Dong required that all urban public utility works and assets must be managed under the principle of one project — one responsible focal point, allowing absolutely no management voids.

To improve management efficiency and optimize the use of state budget funds, the PPC Chairman assigned the Department of Construction to lead and coordinate with the Land Fund Development Center and communes/wards to review and classify all assets across 3 sectors: lighting, greenery, and drainage; consolidating reports to submit to the PPC before August 31. Concurrently, new unit prices must be issued and maintenance and tree-pruning frequencies updated within September 2026. Building the urban technical infrastructure database must be completed; coordination, guidance, and direction provided to localities to finalize as-built dossiers to hand over all lighting transformer stations to the electricity sector before December 31, 2026.

For the Department of Agriculture and Environment, the PPC Chairman required urgent issuance of economic-technical norms for collecting, transporting, and treating domestic waste and public sanitation before August 30; completing the Domestic Waste Collection, Transportation, and Treatment Scheme before November 15, 2026. Pilot waste sorting at source must be organized; actual generated waste volumes accurately reviewed to correctly and fully calculate unit prices for each locality.

For the Department of Finance, the PPC Chairman required direct guidance for communes and wards to prepare realistic budget estimates, including costs for increased frequencies during rainy seasons and specialized costs; ensuring the allocation of a full 2% of total budget expenditure for environmental protection activities. A reasonable budget for 2027 must be arranged, enabling localities to proactively initiate bidding and deploy tasks early.

Regarding public service bidding, the PPC Chairman permitted contract extensions for ordering/task assignment through December 31, 2026, for units unable to complete bidding in time. Starting from 2027, 100% of urban public utility services must undergo public, transparent bidding to elevate professionalism and service quality for the public.

Dinh Vu