Responding to the proposal of National Assembly delegate Nguyen Thi Yen Nhi, National Assembly Delegation of Ben Tre province on investment in upgrading and expanding national highways in the area, the Ministry of Transport said that in the period of 2021 - 2025, the financial resources allocated by the National Assembly and the Government to the Ministry of Transport are limited and need to be prioritized for key, important national projects such as the North - South Eastern Expressway project, completing projects that are being delayed, repaying advanced capital, and repaying debts of BT projects.

Regarding the need for investment in transport infrastructure in Ben Tre province, the Ministry of Transport has prioritized 2,425 billion VND to invest in 2 projects: Project to renovate and upgrade National Highway 57 from Dinh Khao ferry to Mo Cay town, Ben Tre and Vinh Long provinces and Project to invest in the construction of Rach Mieu 2 bridge connecting Tien Giang and Ben Tre provinces.

Due to the difficulty in balancing resources as above, it is not possible to arrange capital to invest in upgrading and renovating National Highway 57 from Mo Cay town to Khau Bang, National Highway 57B, National Highway 57C.

Agreeing on the need to research and develop investment projects to upgrade and expand routes to meet the transportation and economic development needs of Ben Tre province and the Mekong Delta region, the Ministry of Transport said it would direct relevant agencies to urgently review related issues to build in the medium-term public investment portfolio for the period 2026 - 2030 according to the procedures prescribed by the law on public investment.

During the time before upgrading, the Ministry of Transport will direct the Vietnam Road Administration to request maintenance units to improve their responsibilities, increase inspection and maintenance of the route to ensure convenience for people and businesses when participating in traffic.

Regarding the proposal to repair National Highway 57 and National Highway 57B in 2024 - 2025, the Ministry of Transport said that in recent years, using the budget for road economic activities, the Ministry of Transport has allocated funds to carry out regular maintenance and periodic repairs.

The Ministry of Transport has directed the Ben Tre Department of Transport to repair 4 projects on National Highway 57 with a cost of about 33.2 billion VND; in 2023, 1 project will be repaired with a cost of about 14.7 billion VND; in 2024, it is allowed to prepare investment for 1 project with a cost of about 31.4 billion VND.

For National Highway 57B: In 2022, repair 2 projects with a cost of about 43.2 billion VND; in 2023, repair 3 projects with a cost of about 53.5 billion VND; in 2024, allow preparation for investment in 3 projects with a cost of about 26.4 billion VND.