Tapping Deepwater Port Potential

To date, the planned Ba Ria - Vung Tau seaport system has attracted 52 projects with a total registered capital of VND134 trillion (US$6.5 billion). The province also has 26 operational ports with a combined annual capacity of 76.5 million tonnes, with many big and modern terminals like CMIT, SP - PSA, SITV and Tan Cang - Cai Mep, mainly concentrated in the Thi Vai - Cai Mep area. Cargo throughput in 2013 was over 45 million tonnes. Currently, seaport investors are carrying out 9 port projects and preparing the commencement of 15 projects. The province is also calling investment for two port projects.

 

The operation of the deepwater port system has significantly enhanced the competitive position and investment attractiveness of Ba Ria - Vung Tau province. Strong investment inflows to seaport development have made Ba Ria - Vung Tau a top destination of investors in the country. Many industrial production projects have also been accelerated to make use of port advantages and produce goods moving through ports.

 

Mr Ho Van Nien, Vice Chairman of Ba Ria - Vung Tau Provincial People's Committee, said, with the support and guidance of the Ministry of Transport and the Provincial People's Committee, the Vietnam Maritime Administration and the Department of Transport have actively coordinated with relevant units to implement the Joint Notice of Announcement 121/TB-LTBRVT-BGTVT dated May 13, 2013 of Ba Ria - Vung Tau Provincial People's Committee and the Ministry of Transport on measures to improving investment efficiency and exploiting local seaports and initially achieved relatively positive results, thus helping stabilise port operations in the province.

 

As regards support mechanisms for seaport development investment projects, he said, to carry out the plan of developing the Ba Ria - Vung Tau Port Complex into an integrated national port and an international gateway port, the province has assisted and will continue to assist investors with investment procedures and external infrastructure facilities. Presently, Ba Ria - Vung Tau is investing to build a 21-km long inter-port road which runs along the Thi Vai - Cai Mep port system, expected to be completed in 2015. In addition, the province will ask the central government to continue funding the construction of other traffic routes to link the port system with national highways and urban areas in the region like Road 991B and Phuoc Hoa - Cai Mep Road, thus improving traffic connectivity with Dong Nai, Ho Chi Minh City and neighbouring provinces.

Apart from upgrading and expanding completed National Highway 51, the operation of HCM City - Long Thanh - Dau Giay Expressway has shortened travel time from Ho Chi Minh City to Ba Ria - Vung Tau province. In order to efficiently exploit Group 5 seaports and the Cai Mep - Thi Vai ports, based on the approval of the Prime Minister stated in the Official Document 1178/TTg-KTN dated August 6, 2013, the Ministry of Transport issued Decision 3304/QD-BGTVT dated October 22, 2013 to approve the Group 5 Seaport and Cai Mep - Thi Vai Port Operation and Management Efficiency Improvement Scheme. Accordingly, the ministry will deploy solutions to attract transhipped freight to terminals in the Cai Mep - Thi Vai area to utilise its capacity of serving big vessels (with a tonnage of over 80,000 DWT). At the same time, the Provincial People's Committee has also directed relevant agencies to coordinate with consultants to establish the Cai Mep - Thi Vai International Transshipment Terminal Operation Development Scheme. All these efforts are aimed to make Ba Ria - Vung Tau province the centre of deepwater seaports of the southern region and of the nation.

 

Currently, economic globalisation has boosted trade among countries and regions in the world, which has led to new demands for transportation, warehousing and supporting services. For Ba Ria - Vung Tau province, sea-based economic development, including seaport and logistics services, is an important target of its socioeconomic development. Being aware of urgent requirements for logistics services development to serve seaport system development, from now to 2020, Ba Ria - Vung Tau province will give priority to developing a modern, synchronous logistics service centre just behind the Cai Mep port area and the Sao Mai - Ben Dinh port area.

 

In addition, the Resolution of the Party Congress of Ba Ria - Vung Tau province in the 2010-2015 term also set targets of developing maritime economy, building Ba Ria - Vung Tau into a modern industrial and port province in 2015, and developing economy towards sustainability. To realise this goal, in addition to seaport system development, the Provincial People's Committee directed the study on local logistics services development in the 2011-2020 period, with orientation to 2030. Accordingly, the scheme has five core programmes, including the master plan for logistics services development; the plan for logistics centre construction; the overall development of logistics and transport infrastructure; and logistics services development mechanisms and policies.

 

Particularly, the province is taking into consideration the construction of Lower Cai Mep Logistics Centre and will attract investment capital to make it a high-grade logistics centre of Vietnam and the region, and an important link in the global logistics network.