Deepwater container ports key to enhancing marine economy

Developing deep-water and container seaports is key to spurring on the development of Viet Nam’s marine economy.

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung called on the Ministry of Transport (MoT), in conjunction with the Viet Nam Marine Department, to make every effort in building deep-water seaports, complete with effective centres for cargo distribution and logistics services, in Lach Huyen-Hai Phong, Cai Mep and Ben Dinh-Vung Tau during the next five years in order to help support economic development.

Over the years, investment in deep-water projects has included Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT), Build-Transfer and Public-Private Partnership (PPP), according to the Ministry of Transport.

Do Thang Hai, director of the Trade Promotion Agency, said that, in order to add to the country’s GDP, Viet Nam had to expand its aquaculture and fishery exploitation capacity with the view of generating quality products at competitive prices through sustainable environmental development.

Hai emphasised the necessity for hosting domestic and international trade fairs, exhibitions and market survey in order to help develop marine economy.

According to the Viet Nam Marine Department, the country is currently home to 266 large and small-scale seaports, only able to handle 100 million tonnes of cargo and no large vessels.

The volume of cargo clearance through seaports reached 259 million tonnes, of which 6.52 million tonnes were container goods, 51 million tonnes liquid cargo and 29 million tonnes of goods in transit, last year.

Such figures reveal that planning is outdated compared to the fast economic development of the country, causing congestion and reducing the competitive edge of domestic import-export which in turn discourages foreign investment. — VNS

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