Deputy Prime Minister Le Van Thanh has requested the Vietnam Railway Corporation (VNR) make drastic reforms to address shortcomings and develop the sector.

The Government Office on January 6 released an announcement of the Deputy PM’s conclusion at a recent meeting on rail transport.

According to the document, the railway sector is facing an array of difficulties and challenges. The national infrastructure in this field has yet to receive due investment, the sector’s market share has been shrinking while road and air transport are booming, and the lingering COVID-19 pandemic greatly affected infrastructure upgrades, rail transportation of passengers, as well as VNR’s performance.

As the pandemic remains complicated, Deputy PM Thanh told the VNR to reform its mindset, take more drastic and proactive moves, and adopt new solutions and methods to deal with outstanding problems and strongly develop the sector in the future.

The State-owned enterprise should bravely propose breakthrough mechanisms, policies and solutions, turn difficulties and challenges into opportunities for development in the new context, conduct flexible transformation, and promptly build a new business plan to optimise advantages of rail freight transportation to give timely assistance to other modes of transport.

More attention should be paid to railway infrastructure development and efforts made to attract private resources to rail transport.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Transport and related ministries and agencies need to prioritise investment for railway infrastructure and tackle difficulties to facilitate the sector’s development, the Deputy PM said. — VNS