Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh revealed that he had proposed to Vingroup chairman Pham Nhat Vuong, the country’s wealthiest individual, the idea of building a subway line connecting downtown Ho Chi Minh City with coastal Can Gio District.

PM Chinh shared this information during a Saturday conference held by the city administration to unveil the Ho Chi Minh City Master Plan for 2021-30, with a vision extending to 2050.

"I recently suggested to Vingroup chairman Vuong the idea of constructing a metro line linking the city center to Can Gio District, and he enthusiastically supported the initiative," Chinh stated.

Vuong, who also serves as CEO of electric vehicle manufacturer VinFast, is Vietnam's richest person and ranked 833rd on Forbes magazine’s global rich list with a net worth of $4.1 billion as of late 2024.

The prime minister said it is important to involve major enterprises with substantial resources in projects critical to Vietnam’s social and economic progress.

“I am offering initiatives to businesses and encouraging them to develop innovative approaches,” Chinh said at the conference.

“Resources stem from our ideas, and motivation arises from our innovation.

“This mindset must guide us as we implement the city’s master plan.”

Hailing the city’s efforts to put its first metro line, among the eight planned subway projects, into operation last month, Chinh advised that the country’s most populous metropolis further exploit its sea and underground spaces, including developing more subway systems, to meet rising travel demand.

In July 2024, the Department of Transport and the Department of Planning and Architecture proposed that the local government build an appropriate urban railway line to link the city’s central area to Can Gio -- a move to better the local traffic infrastructure. 

The proposal for the subway system followed PM Chinh’s directive after he and other officials visited Can Gio in July 2023.

Four months later, during a meeting on the implementation of the legislature’s Resolution 98 – which outlines pilot policies for Ho Chi Minh City’s development – the premier spotlighted the need for a subway or elevated road to Can Gio.

He highlighted this as part of the efforts to preserve the Can Gio mangrove forest, a UNESCO-recognized world biosphere reserve since 2000.

"One of the key principles in developing any project is to protect what nature has gifted us, ensuring benefits for the nation as a whole and Ho Chi Minh City in particular," PM Chinh stressed.

At the conference, the prime minister also commended the city’s Master Plan, describing it as a comprehensive blueprint that addresses strategic visions and critical priorities for Ho Chi Minh City’s sustainable socio-economic growth in the years ahead.

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