Phu Tho Accelerates Public Investment Projects in Culture, Sports and Tourism

On the morning of July 24, Phung Thi Kim Nga, Member of the Provincial Party Committee and Vice Chairwoman of the Phu Tho Provincial People’s Committee, chaired a meeting to review the progress of public investment projects in the fields of culture, sports and tourism across the province. The meeting was attended by Duong Hoang Huong, Member of the Provincial Party Standing Committee and Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, along with representatives of relevant departments and agencies and chairpersons of commune- and ward-level People’s Committees serving as project investors.

Vice Chairwoman of the Provincial People’s Committee Phung Thi Kim Nga delivers concluding remarks at the meeting.

According to the report presented at the meeting, all eight public investment projects in the culture, sports and tourism sector have received approval of their investment policies from the Provincial People’s Committee and are currently undergoing appraisal of their feasibility study reports.

Among them, three projects involving nationally recognised historical and cultural relics—Dao Xa Communal House in Dao Xa Commune, Du Yen Temple in Chi Tien Commune, and Do Nghia Communal House in Phung Nguyen Commune—are awaiting appraisal opinions from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

The remaining five projects, involving provincial-level relic sites, namely Cam Lam Pagoda in Tam Dao Commune, Vinh Lai Communal House in Vinh An Commune, Hien Le Communal House in Xuan Hoa Ward, Lap Communal House – Boi Pagoda in Hop Kim Commune, and Nang Yen Temple in Quang Yen Commune, are undergoing appraisal and finalisation of documentation at the provincial level.

Duong Hoang Huong, Member of the Provincial Party Standing Committee and Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, addresses the meeting.

A preliminary assessment showed that all eight projects are behind the implementation schedule set by the Provincial People’s Committee, which had targeted July 15, 2026 for key milestones.

During the meeting, representatives of provincial departments, agencies and local authorities analysed the causes of the delays and proposed measures to accelerate implementation.

As this is the first time commune- and ward-level People’s Committees have been assigned as investors for heritage conservation and restoration projects, errors in preparing specialised documentation have required repeated revisions and additions. Furthermore, the multi-level appraisal process and stricter review procedures under the 2024 Law on Cultural Heritage have extended the preparation period.

To address these procedural bottlenecks, leaders of the communes and wards committed to promptly revising project documentation in accordance with professional recommendations and coordinating closely with relevant authorities to secure project approval before August 15, 2026.

The Department of Construction pledged to prioritise resources to expedite project appraisal, while the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism committed to reducing its specialised appraisal period from the statutory 15 working days to just three working days once complete and valid documentation is received.

In her concluding remarks, Vice Chairwoman Phung Thi Kim Nga noted that a province-wide review had identified approximately 240 historical and cultural relic sites requiring restoration and conservation.

She emphasised that selecting eight priority heritage sites for investment during the 2025–2026 period reflects the province’s consistent commitment to preserving and promoting its cultural and historical heritage.

Reaffirming the policy of assigning commune-level People’s Committees as project investors, she instructed local chairpersons to strengthen their sense of responsibility and assume full accountability before the Chairman of the Provincial People’s Committee for project progress, construction quality and public investment disbursement.

Regarding the next phase of implementation, she directed local authorities to work proactively with specialised agencies to complete documentation for the five provincial-level heritage projects, with the objective of obtaining project approval before August 15, 2026.

For the three nationally recognised heritage projects, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism was assigned to serve as the lead agency, working directly with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the three relevant communes to complete all appraisal procedures in accordance with regulations.

Overview of the meeting.

Vice Chairwoman Phung Thi Kim Nga stressed that heritage conservation projects preserve cultural, historical and spiritual values for future generations, making construction quality and long-term durability the highest priorities. She urged local authorities to ensure that project documentation is accurate from the outset to minimise repeated revisions that could delay implementation.

She also called on relevant departments and agencies to actively support local authorities and coordinate closely to streamline administrative procedures and shorten project preparation time.

The Provincial People’s Committee has set a target of 100% disbursement of the 2026 public investment budget allocated to these projects. Achievement of this target will serve as one of the key performance indicators (KPIs) in evaluating the performance of heads of provincial departments, agencies and local authorities.

Dinh Vu