Vietnam looks to address bottlenecks in logistics infrastructure

Removing bottlenecks in transport infrastructure and policy mechanisms is considered an important solution to help cut logistics costs. - Illustrative image (Photo: VNA)

Removing bottlenecks in transport infrastructure and policy mechanisms is considered an important solution to help cut logistics costs and improve the competitiveness of Vietnamese businesses and goods in the time to come.

Figures show that Vietnam boasts 630,546 km of roads, including less than 2,000 km of expressways.

It also lacks infrastructure connecting roads with seaports, resulting in logistics costs being insufficiently competitive.

According to Tran Thanh Hai, Vice Director of the Department of Export and Import under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, Vietnam has been building more expressways and national highways and has large seaports that play a role as international transit gateways.

Vietnam has also upgraded existing airports and developed new ones, he added.

However, railway infrastructure remains underdeveloped and has not yet promoted the role of transport in development, he noted.

Vietnam has regularly posted annual GDP growth of 6-8 percent over the last decade.

The rapid growth of goods production and trade has caused a sharp increase in demand for logistics infrastructure and services. But Vietnam’s logistics infrastructure and services are yet to meet demand, resulting in high costs.

To improve the situation, it is necessary to adopt comprehensive measures, Hai said.

The Government needs to issue specific policies and build appropriate orientations on logistics development, including those related to the development of localities, according to Hai.

He also underlined the necessity of promoting administrative reform and the digitalisation of administrative procedures, increasing links between logistics infrastructure networks, and paying due regard to training and improving the quality of human resources in the industry./.