The ministry said shortages of soil, stone and sand continued to affect a number of strategic infrastructure projects despite special mechanisms introduced to facilitate mineral extraction for construction.
Around 600,000 cubic metres of fill material have yet to be sourced for the Ring Road 4 project in the Hanoi Capital Region.
Stone shortages of more than 7 million cubic metres have been reported across nine expressway projects, including Can Tho-Ca Mau, Cao Lanh-An Huu, Chau Doc-Can Tho-Soc Trang and My An-Cao Lanh.
The most acute shortage involves sand, with more than 22 million cubic metres yet to be sourced for seven major projects, including the Chau Doc-Can Tho-Soc Trang expressway and Ring Road 4 projects in Hanoi and HCM City.
Southern provinces including An Giang, Vinh Long, Dong Thap and Can Tho have licensed new sand mines and increased output at existing sites, but supplies remain insufficient to meet construction demand.
The ministry noted that quality stone reserves are largely concentrated in a handful of localities, including An Giang, HCM City and Dong Nai, where mining output remains below demand despite adequate reserves.
To address the shortages, the ministry has asked the government to direct local authorities to expedite licensing procedures, increase production at existing mines and develop stable supply chains for construction materials.
It also urged provincial authorities to publish construction material prices in line with market conditions and prevent price manipulation.
