BR-VT WANTS ROAD ACCESS TO PORTS IMPROVED

At a recent meeting with Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung, the southern province proposed an early construction of Bien Hoa-Vung Tau expressway and roads connecting Cai Mep-Thi Vai port complex and provinces in the Southern Key Economic Zone (SKEZ).

Ba Ria-Vung Tau asked the Government to urge relevant agencies to carry out a major project to dredge and widen Vung Tau-Thi Vai navigational passage for bigger container vessels to sail to Cai Mep-Thi Vai, according to chinhphu.vn.

The province suggested reviewing and revising zoning plans for port development and navigational passages for cargo transport to help improve the competitiveness of the country in general and SKEZ in particular.

There are 57 seaport and terminal projects zoned in Ba Ria-Vung Tau and 28 of them have been put into use with a total investment of US$2 billion. These operational ports have total annual throughput of 98.9 million tons of cargo and 11.6 kilometers of pier.

The Cai Mep-Thi Vai port complex is envisaged comprising 35 terminals. Of them, 17 terminals have been put into operation with a capacity of around 93 million tons of cargo a year, including seven for containerized goods, three for fuels and the rest for general goods.

More than VND27 trillion has been spent on terminals and four kilometers of pier at Cai Mep-Thi Vai, which was opened to vessels in 2009.

Cai Mep-Thi Vai is the only port complex in Vietnam from which large container vessels transport cargo directly to Europe and Americas. Every week, the port complex handles 20 trips operated by vessels of more than 80,000 DWT to over 160,000 DWT.

Ba Ria-Vung Tau reported that cargo throughput at ports in the province has posted annual growth of 16% over the past five years and an increase of 17% in containerized goods a year.

Dung said Cai Mep-Thi Vai is an international cargo transshipment port complex important to economic growth of not only Ba Ria-Vung Tau but also the whole SKEZ. However, despite much investment, the port complex is dogged by underdeveloped infrastructure, the lack of approach roads and limited logistics services.

Dung underscored the need to have an agency able to restructure management and do zoning and investment plans for Cai Mep-Thi Vai. He told the Ministry of Transport and Ba Ria-Vung Tau to study the port authority model for the port complex.

It is important to map out a zoning plan suitable for the region’s socio-economic performance and irrational issues should be addressed, Dung said. He stressed the zoning plan of the port complex needs to be adjusted in a way that ensures sustainable development for it.

Dung told relevant agencies to dredge and improve navigational passages to make it easier for vessels of 200,000 DWT to transport to and from Cai Mep-Thi Vai. He ordered better road connectivity between the port complex and other localities in the region.

Ports see cargo throughput up 13% in first seven months

Ports nationwide have handled a total of more than 230 million tons of cargo this year, up 13% year-on-year and meeting 48.9% of the full-year target, the Vietnam Maritime Administration has said.

Of the total, container cargo freight has increased by 19% year-on-year to 6.5 million TEUs, 52% of the year’s target.

The country has 44 operational seaports with a total handling capacity of 470-500 million tons per year and with 59,405 meters of pier.

To enhance the capacity of seaports, the Vietnam Maritime Administration will complete zoning plans and development schemes, including developing inland container depots (ICDs) until 2020 with a vision towards 2030.

Source: The Saigon Times