At a January 17 meeting, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh emphasized the need to strengthen state management in this field and to develop the rare earth industry, contributing to strategic autonomy.

At  a meeting of
standing Government members in Hanoi on January 17, under the chair of Prime
Minister Pham Minh Chinh,  a National
Strategy on Rare Earths has been discussed.

The standing cabinet members also looked into a draft Government
resolution on mechanisms to remove difficulties and obstacles for transitional
BT (build-transfer) projects, a draft decree detailing the handling of
obstacles related to BT transport projects, and several other issues.

Regarding the development of the National Strategy on Rare
Earths, PM Chinh was quoted by the Vietnam News Agency as emphasizing the need
to strengthen state management in this field and to develop the rare earth
industry, contributing to strategic autonomy.

He highlighted tasks and solutions including building and
improving institutions, mechanisms, and policies, with priority given to deep
processing; financial investment and mobilization of state resources,
public-private partnership resources, and investor capital; infrastructure
construction and development; transfer and mastery of advanced and appropriate
technologies; promotion of public-private cooperation; and smart governance
based on digital transformation.

The Prime Minister requested the Ministry of Agriculture and
Environment, together with relevant agencies, coordinate, absorb the opinions
raised at the meeting, and finalize the drafts, reports, and proposals for
submission to the competent authorities for consideration and feedback.

About mechanisms to address difficulties and obstacles for
transitional BT projects, the Prime Minister instructed the Ministry of Finance
and relevant agencies to incorporate feedback, finalize and submit the
Government resolution for issuance under expedited procedures.

He stressed the requirement to comply with and properly
apply regulations, laws, and authorities; and to harmonies interests and share
risks among the State, businesses, and the people; and, on that basis, to
review and handle projects that have already received inspection conclusions.

For projects without inspection conclusions, provincial-level
People’s Committees are tasked with conducting inspections and handling them
within their authority, in the spirit of “localities decide, implement and take
responsibility,” according to the PM.

Ministries and sectors are to carry out their tasks within
their mandates; if issues exceed their authority, they should report to the
Government and the Prime Minister, he noted.

VNA-Van Nguyen