Inadequate in the southern seaports: some are overloaded while others are gloomy

The Cat Lai port is always full of goods. Photo: T.H.

Important but not effective

At the conference to sum up the project on enhancing the efficiency of management and operation of seaport Group 5 and ports in Cai Mep - Thi Vai area organized by the Ministry of Transport last week in Vung Tau City, management and business enterprises, port operators said that although the group of seaports is the most important of the six seaport groups in the country, the ports in port group No. 5 are still facing many shortcomings, some ports are overloaded, while the others are gloomy and the actual exploitation was over.

Deputy Minister of Transport Nguyen Van Cong said that the port group No. 5 plays the most important role in 6 groups of seaports nationwide. Every year, port group No. 5 accounts for 45% of total cargo volume and over 60% of the container through Vietnam seaport system. Having played an important role in customs clearance of export goods and creating a motive force for economic development in the South and the whole country, the Seaport Group No. 5 has been approved by the Government and ministries and localities to invest in the development of seaport infrastructure.

However, according to statistics in 2016, the integrated ports, container ports of Cai Mep - Thi Vai through about 40.9 million tons of royalties, reaching about 45% of total design capacity. For containerized cargo in 2016, it will reach 2.03 million TEU, though it will increase by 50% over the same period in 2015, only 30% of the containerized capacity of container terminals in Cai Mep - Thi Vai area.

According to Mr. Nguyen Dinh Viet, Deputy Director General of the Vietnam Maritime Administration, the lack of macro-solutions to regulate the efficiency of goods between seaports in Group 5, cargo through the seaports remains very concentrated in HCMC seaport. In 2016, the port of HCMC has passed the total cargo volume of 100.5 million tons, reaching 86.87% of the forecast in 2020. The container volume in 2016 through HCMC port is 5.72 million teus exceeds the 2020 milestone. Cat Lai port in 2016 grew by 8.2% compared to 2015, reaching approximately 4 million teus, continuing to put heavy pressure on the road network, causing problems. The traffic congestion and urban environment of the city, while affecting the time of freight transport and the quality of logistics services.

According to the comments at the conference, for new ports to be effective, especially in the first phase, there should be cargo services attached to the port. However, for new ports of Group 5 in Cai Mep - Thi Vai (Ba Ria - Vung Tau), Hiep Phuoc (HCM City) has not developed timely industrial zones and export processing zones attached to ports. Although Cai Mep - Thi Vai area has been invested in modern port facilities to meet international standards, however, the port area has no logistics center, empty container ports, truck center to support. transport and promote the development of post-port services. This is a drawback, reducing the attractiveness for investors.

Many opinions also suggest that the port connection is currently incomplete. The new ports are invested in the direction of approaching the sea but also at the same time far from the center for production and consumption of goods. Therefore, the actual investment and exploitation of new port facilities in the past time have not met the expectations, this issue is very related to the transport infrastructure connected. For example, the road linking Cat Lai, Phu Huu (Provincial Road 25B, Nguyen Thi Dinh Street, District 2, Ho Chi Minh City and traffic intersections) is not synchronous with the scale of exploitation of ports here, make traffic jams often occur.

No new investment in container port

Under this circumstance, port managers and businesses have all said that there are still many issues that need to be overcome to create favorable conditions to attract goods for seaports in Dong Nai and Ba Ria - Vung Tau. According to Deputy Minister Nguyen Van Cong, new ports are invested in the direction of approaching the sea but also at the same time away from production centers for goods consumption and poor transport infrastructure. Specifically, in Ba Ria - Vung Tau, the inter-port Cai Mep - Thi Vai is newly directed by the provincial People's Committee to invest, expected to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2017. Phuoc An Bridge connecting Cai Mep - Thi Vai Intercity Road to Nhon Trach and Ben Luc - Long Thanh Expressway is in the process of implementing investment procedures and seeking funding sources. The Bien Hoa-Vung Tau expressway linking Cai Mep - Thi Vai port area with the backward area has no capital to deploy.

In addition, to overcome the shortcomings and restrictions mentioned, the Vietnam Maritime Bureau proposed that the Ministry of Transport from now until 2020 does not release new licenses to build container terminals throughout the group, accelerate the relocation process, increase port connections, develop logistics services and post-port industry, continue to improve mechanisms and policies, and improve administrative procedures. As for the general port, Ba Ria - Vung Tau continues to limit investment in new general ports (except for port facilities approved by the Prime Minister, Ministry of Transport). After 2020, basing itself on the situation of exploitation of container ports to consider the termination of combined-use of general cargo in specialized container terminals and the grant of new investment licenses for general ports to meet the needs of the region. With the area of HCM City, Dong Nai continue restricting the licensing of new ports for general trade from now to 2020, only permits for port projects serving the output of goods in the industrial zones or promote revenue Invest in industrial zones (the ones without port).

For the tax solution, the Ministry of Transport and Communications shall coordinate with the Ministry of Finance and concerned agencies in studying the adjustment of the application of floor prices for loading and unloading or the application of measures on charges for use of seaport infrastructure, application of low levels in the new port area and high levels in the port area are likely to cause congestion to impact the cargo flow; Work with BOT investors to reduce the cost of goods transportation to and from ports in Cai Mep - Thi Vai area to reduce transportation costs.