With a total registered investment capital of over VND 76,767 billion, non-budget projects are expected to be the driving force for the province’s growth. However, practical implementation has revealed barriers regarding procedures and site clearance. In response, the provincial People’s Committee issued the “green lane” mechanism, aiming to cut administrative procedure processing time by up to 60%.

Currently, there are a total of 224 non-state investment projects in the province that have been approved in principle or granted investment certificates, with a total registered capital of VND 76,767.81 billion. Among these, 152 projects have been completed and are operational with a capital of VND 16,160.64 billion, making significant contributions to the budget and local employment. Notable examples include the New Urban Residential Area project north of Hoàng Văn Thái - Khe Chít road, which has completed its technical infrastructure and been handed over to the authorities, and the Mường Thanh Tourism Market, which has been put into use to meet the trading needs of the people.

However, many difficulties and inadequacies remain. There are 72 projects currently in the implementation stage, accounting for VND 60,607.17 billion (nearly 79% of total registered capital), that are facing numerous barriers. A review shows that 16 projects are seriously behind schedule, concentrated in the fields of urban development (6 projects), hydropower (4 projects), agriculture (3 projects), and industry-commerce (3 projects). The primary cause of these delays is identified as the “knot” of compensation and site clearance. At urban projects such as Him Lam 7, Mường Thanh A, or the infrastructure investment project for residential areas along the Thanh Minh - Độc Lập route, the inability to hand over the site to investors has stalled progress.

Furthermore, a lack of synchronous infrastructure is also a barrier. Specifically, in the energy sector, 11 hydropower projects are delayed because the national 110kV power grid has not been invested in according to the plan, making it difficult for completed plants to connect. For agricultural projects, especially macadamia cultivation, the challenges lie in the measurement and identification of land origins, the consensus of the people, and the limited financial capacity of some investors.

To remove these administrative hurdles, on January 29, 2026, the Chairman of the Điện Biên provincial People’s Committee signed Decision No.180/QD-UBND, announcing a list of 23 administrative procedures to be implemented under the “green lane” mechanism. This is considered a core solution to unblock non-budget projects, with the goal of shortening processing time by at least 60% compared to current regulations. For instance, the procedure for investor approval or adjustment of approval documents under the authority of the provincial People’s Committee, which previously took 17 days, now takes only 6 days, a reduction of 64.7%. Procedures such as granting new construction permits for Grade I and II works have been reduced from 20 days to 8 days, and the appraisal of environmental impact assessment reports for important projects has dropped from 50 days to 20 days.

Additionally, the Điện Biên provincial People’s Committee is determined to deal with “hanging” projects and investors who no longer have the capacity to fulfill their commitments. Specifically, in 2025, a series of decisions to terminate operations and adjust projects were issued, such as high-tech macadamia projects in Mường Nhé, Nậm Pồ, Tủa Chùa, and the old Mường Ảng district, due to failure to meet commitments. Handling these projects aims to free up land funds and provide investment opportunities for other more potential investors.

In the coming time, to ensure non-budget projects are completed early and become effective, the province is focusing on several key tasks. This includes directing commune and ward authorities alongside the Project Management and Land Fund Development Boards to urgently perform compensation and site clearance to meet conditions for land use right auctions. For energy projects, the province is mobilizing socialized resources to build 110kV transformer stations to remove bottlenecks for hydropower clusters. Regarding forestry and macadamia projects, communication is being stepped up so that residents understand the benefits of linkage projects and to definitively resolve land mapping and ownership issues. The combination of strictly handling violations and the “green lane” support mechanism is opening a new phase for the investment environment in Điện Biên.