Decision No. 1446/QD-TTg of September 15, 2009, approving the scheme on development of medium- and small-sized electric pump stations in the Mekong river delta

DECISION

APPROVING THE SCHEME ON DEVELOPMENT OF MEDIUM- AND SMALL-SIZED ELECTRIC PUMP STATIONS IN THE MEKONG RIVER DELTA

THE PRIME MINISTER

Pursuant to the December 25, 2001 Law on Organization of the Government;
At the proposal of the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development in Report No. 1402/BNN-TL of May 25, 2009,

DECIDES:

Article 1. To approve the Scheme on development of medium- and small-sized electric pump stations in the Mekong River delta with the following principal contents:

I. VIEWPOINTS

1. To develop medium- and small-sized electric pump stations in line with socioeconomic development and irrigation plannings and suitable to natural and social conditions of Mekong River delta provinces, with a view to taking the initiative in supplying and draining water for agricultural production and aquaculture. contributing to increasing the productivity of plants and animals, improving living standards of farmers and fishermen, and successfully implementing Party and State policies and lines on agriculture, farmers and rural areas in the new situation;

2. To make concentrated investment in building electric pump stations in areas for which development plannings have been approved and in which retaining banks have been completed: areas in which safe water sources are available; border, deep-lying and remote areas and areas in which Khmer people live and carry out production activities, giving priority to repairing, upgrading and replacing operating oil-fuelled pump stations in order to supply water for production;

3. To further socialize investment in, and management and use of. pump stations with a view to raising responsibilities and increasing benefits of people in the Mekong River delta for effective and sustainable use of works.

II. OBJECTIVE

By 2015, to replace most of existing oil-fuelled pump stations and develop medium- and small-sized electric pump stations in line with planning and socio-economic development orientations of localities in the Mekong River delta.

III. SCOPE

To build medium- and small-sized electric pump stations in 13 provinces and cities of the Mekong River delta, including Long An, Tien Giang, Ben Tre, Vinh Long, Tra Vinh. Hau Giang, An Giang, Dong Thap, Soc Trang, Bac Lieu, Ca Mau and Kien Giang provinces and Can Tho city.

IV. MAJOR TASKS

1. During 2009-2010

- To review and complete a planning on electric pump stations in line with irrigation and power grid plannings in the Mekong River delta provinces;

- To repair, upgrade and improve degraded operating electric pump stations for promoting to the utmost their designed capacity: to replace existing oil-fuelled pump stations and build new electric pump stations in places in which conditions permit;

- To build electric pump stations in border, deep-lying and remote areas and areas densely inhabited by Khmer people;

- To study and formulate mechanisms and policies to further socialize construction investment and management of electric pump stations and raise investment effectiveness and ensure sustainable development;

- To build a model to effectively manage, operate and exploit electric pump stations, suitable to practices of fanners and fishermen in the Mekong River delta.

2. During 2011-2015

- To further invest in replacing most of oil-fuelled pump stations, and building new electric pump stations to form a system of electric pump stations under planning.

- To widely apply models of socializing investment in. and operation and exploitation management of, pump stations in each locality and the whole delta.

V. DEVELOPMENT ORIENTATIONS FOR ELECTRIC PUMP STATIONS

1. Development orientations

- Based on the set objectives and tasks, to build electric pump stations for agricultural production and aquaculture in the Mekong River delta (see the attached Appendix for details). Specifically:

- By 2015, to build 3.120 pump stations (subject to further review and adjustment);

- Area under service: 658.000 ha of paddy and around 6,000 ha of aquaculture area;

-Total output of transformer stations: 338.000 KVA;

- To be-consumed electricity: 512.250.000 KWh.

2. Selection of types and capacity of pumps

To select pumps of appropriate types and capacity based on topographical, geological and hydrological conditions and production area, ensuring the satisfaction of technical and economic requirements.

VI. MAJOR SOLUTIONS

1. Planning-related solutions

- Provincial-level People's Committees shall direct branches and localities in expeditiously reviewing and formulating plannings on the construction of electric pump stations in line with local socio-economic development plannings and branch plannings:

- A planning on electric pump stations must be in line with the planning on production (cultivated and aquaculture zones) and planning on fields, embankments, retaining banks, sluices and intra-field works in each locality, meeting production requirements, preventing and mitigating impacts of natural disasters and ensuring sustainable and effective use;

- A planning on electric pump stations must be associated with the construction of a comprehensive and complete irrigation system, including major works, canals and ditches, embankments, retaining banks, sluices and intra-field works, and based on the planning to develop an electricity supply network in each region or locality, with a view to reducing water wastage and consuming less electricity.

2. Technical solutions

- To study and propose parameters of pumps, pump stations and transformer stations suitable to natural conditions of the Mekong River delta (areas in need of resolute flood combat, areas in need of flood combat in August, and delta and mountainous areas), production area and forms of production (paddy, crops, fruits, fisheries, etc.) in order to manufacture 3-phase engine pumps suitable to natural conditions, flood conditions, weak foundation geology and specific characteristics of pump stations in the Mekong River delta (low pump water-columns, effects of flood, salinity, tides, etc.);

- To study and propose the building of intra-field irrigation systems (embankments, retaining banks, sluices, etc.) towards agricultural mechanization in the Mekong River delta;

- To build electric pump stations suitable to natural and agricultural production conditions in each region and water supply and drainage tasks with a view to bringing into full play the efficiency of electric pump stations.

3. Mechanisms and policies

- To further implement the Prime Minister's Decision No. 56/2009/QD-TTg of April 15, 2009, amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Prime Minister's Decision No. 13/2009/QD-TTg of January 21, 2009. on the use of state development investment credit for further implementing programs on solidification of canals and ditches, development of rural roads, aquaculture infrastructure and rural craft-village infrastructure during 2009-2015;

- To study mechanisms and policies to support the electricity industry (through providing credit to Mekong River delta provinces and cities) for concentrated investment in building medium-voltage electricity lines and transformer stations, as a basis for the development of electric pump stations;

- To study mechanisms and policies to encourage all economic sectors to invest in. and manage and operate, electric pump stations with a view to attracting capital and involving the community in management work to ensure invest­ment effectiveness and sustainable management;

- To give priority to repairing and upgrading existing electric pump stations: to build electric pump stations in replacement of oil-fuelled pump stations in areas for which plannings have been approved, in which power grids and safe water sources are available, retaining banks and embankments have been completed and irrigating and draining directions have been identified; and areas in dire need of water drainage.

4. Operation management

- Provincial-level People's Committees shall direct and assign lower-level People's Committees to organize contracting and bidding for seeking organizations, individuals and population communities to manage and operate electric pump stations. Functional units shall provide technical guidance and assistance;

- To consolidate, strengthen or establish water use cooperation organizations (under the Government's Decree No. 151/2007/ND-CP of October 10, 2007, on the organization and operation of cooperative groups) which are capable of managing and operating pump stations for communes;

- To encourage organizations and individuals to invest in, or perform contracts for. managing and operating pump stations under specific regulations of each locality;

- To develop a process of operating electric pump stations suitable to production crops, electricity supply and operation schedules in order to avoid peak hours, reduce costs and raise the effectiveness of pump stations.

5. Investment capital

Capital for implementing the Scheme shall be raised from different sources: state budget funds, capital of enterprises and individuals, loans, and capital of other programs and schemes which are being implemented in the same localities.

- Preferential credit shall be used under the Prime Minister's Decision No. 56/2009/QD-TTg of April 15. 2009, amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Prime Minister's Decision No. 13/2009/QD-TTg of January 21. 2009. on the use of state development investment credit for further implementing programs on solidification of canals and ditches, development of rural roads, aquaculture infrastructure and rural craft-village infrastructure during 2009-2015.

- To mobilize participation and contributions of population communities in clearing ground, building and consolidating retaining banks and sluices, dredging canals and ditches and revamping fields; to contribute funds for renovating, maintaining, repairing and operating pump stations.

6. Investment capital for the Scheme

The total investment capital (excluding investment capital for power grids and transformer stations) is estimated at VND 1.839 billion.

Of which:

Local capital: VND 1,267 billion

Capital of enterprises, cooperatives, cooperative groups and individuals: VND 570 billion.

VII. ORGANIZATION OF IMPLEMENTATION

1. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development shall:

- Urge, inspect and guide localities to formulate and implement plannings: provide technical guidance; to sum up implementation results in each period and report them to the Prime Minister.

- Coordinate with the Ministry of Planning and Investment, the Ministry of Finance and the Mekong River delta provinces and cities in elaborating investment plans for the scheme implementation.

- Coordinate with Vietnam Electricity Group in planning the construction of power grids and transformer stations, ensuring the supply of electricity for electric pump stations under planning.

2. People's Committees of the Mekong River delta provinces and cities shall:

- Update and review plannings on the development of electric pump stations and electricity system plannings as a basis for construction investment;

- Specify mechanisms and policies to support organizations and individuals that build, manage and operate electric pump stations;

- Direct and guide the management and operation of pump stations, ensuring efficient and sustainable production;

- Allocate capital for building planned electric pump stations.

Article 2. This Decision takes effect on the date of its signing.

Article 3. Ministers, heads of ministerial-level agencies, heads of government-attached agencies and chairpersons of People's Committees of the Mekong River delta provinces and cities shall implement this Decision.

APPENDIX

MEDIUM- AND SMALL-SIZED ELECTRIC PUMP STATIONS TO BE BUILT IN THE MEKONG RIVER DELTA
(To the Prime Minister's Decision No. 1446/QD-TTg of September 15, 2009)