Vietnam disbursed VND477.18 trillion ($18.27bn) of public investment capital as of August 20, or 46.7% of the annual target set by the Prime Minister, VnEconomy reported on September 6, citing the Ministry of Finance.

With more than eight months of the year gone and less than half of the plan spent, the government faces a compressed window to push money out the door before the end of 2026. Public investment has been a central plank of Hanoi's growth strategy, and the shortfall places pressure on ministries and provincial authorities to speed up delivery in the final months.

The strain is clearest in large transport infrastructure schemes. A government dispatch issued by the Prime Minister on August 30 covers seven expressway routes comprising 14 projects and component projects under construction in northern Vietnam. Several of them are still held up by land clearance problems and difficulties in securing construction materials.

Some works due for completion in 2026 also have large volumes of construction left to finish, with only a short building period available.

For projects scheduled to be completed this year, and for those started in 2025 that have fallen behind schedule, authorities have been told that faster disbursement alone will not be enough. They are required to revise construction plans, bring in additional resources and organise work on site more efficiently to clear the backlog.

The government is pressing for closer coordination between ministries, local authorities, investors and contractors so that allocated capital translates into finished infrastructure and supports economic growth.