On the occasion of publishing the “Vietnam Trade: A 60-year Construction and Development” special issue, the Vietnam Business Forum Magazine had an exchange talk with Dr. Mai Xuan Thieu, General Director of Lotus Port Joint Venture Company, about the roles of the seaport system in trading development and the matters of the integration process.
Could you introduce outstanding advantages and activities of LotusPort at present?
Looking seaward from Ho Chi Minh City, Lotus Port is a link between the South-eastern Region with South-western Region, between northern Vietnam and southern Vietnam and between provinces in southern Vietnam. The position of Lotus Port will be on the new high when Phu My Bridge spanning over Saigon River completes in 2009. In the past years, Lotus has invested in upgrading infrastructure system, equipment, container wharves capable of receiving ships of 25,000 DWT, 10-ha warehouses, warehouse system for transhipment and bonded warehouses. The port now can handle one million tonnes of cargo a year. On the other hand, Lotus pays great attention to applying IT to management and operation of the port to swiftly handle incoming and outgoing ship calls.
The port system has a very close relationship with logistic services and import-export activities. How do you assess the development of the current seaport system?
The seaport system plays a very important role in the development of the national economy and the increase of imports and exports, and has strong influences on the regional linkages. Countries with favourable seaport systems not only can quicken their economic growth rate but also are intermediary links for their neighbouring nations. Vietnam with an over 3,200-km coastline has favourable conditions to develop seaports. This is also a door to bring Vietnam to integrate into the world and attract foreign investors into the country.
Hence, to develop logistics services, it is necessary to develop the port system, consisting of piers, warehouses, inland clearance depots (ICDs), handling facilities and transport means, to invest in facilities to carry cargo from seaports to ICDs and from ICDs to seaports, and to apply IT. The logistics service development has a close link to maritime, container transportation modes to quickly, safely and effectively meet the requirement. Ports also need investment and modernising to receive new-generation container ships and to match the international maritime development tendency.
What investment and business strategies does LotusPort have in place to develop logistic services?
We specified that logistics is an important service to improve the port operation efficiency; hence, we have built up capable workforce to carry out this service. At present, this service development is on the right track. We strongly believe that Lotus Port will become an important link for the commercial and maritime development through its effective logistics service in the integration process.
Reported by Van Luong
Vietnamese
