According to the master plan, the seaport system in Ba Ria-Vung Tau belongs to a group of special seaports of Vietnam, in which the Cai Mep-Thi Vai port cluster functions as a gateway and international transshipment port.
As one of two special port clusters of Vietnam’s seaport system, Cai Mep-Thi Vai deep-water port cluster has many outstanding advantages, taking on the role of an important trade gateway and international transshipment port.
However, in order for the operation of this port cluster to be commensurate with its potential, and to improve its competitiveness in the region and internationally, it is necessary to continue to have strong investment, remove inadequacies, and contribute to raising the level of the port cluster. especially in the near future.
According to the master plan on development of Vietnam’s seaport system in the 2021-2030 period, with a vision to 2050 approved by the Prime Minister in September 2021, the seaport system in Ba Ria-Vung Tau belongs to the group of ports. Vietnam’s special sea, in which Cai Mep-Thi Vai port cluster functions as a gateway port and international transshipment.
Therefore, recently, at the meeting of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and representatives of ministries and branches with leaders of Ba Ria-Vung Tau province, one of the contents of special interest was the effective exploitation solutions. sea economic potential, further promoting the advantages of the special seaport system Cai Mep-Thi Vai.
Deputy Director of Vung Tau Maritime Administration Tran Kim Vinh Tho said that with its geographical location near the main maritime route, favorable natural conditions and a modern navigational channel system, Cai Mep-Thi Vai has met 6/8 basic criteria to form a gateway port, international transshipment.
In particular, the Ministry of Transport has approved the policy of implementing an investment project to upgrade the navigation channel into Cai Mep port cluster with a depth of 15.5m by 2022. With this depth, Cai Mep-Thi Vai capable of receiving all mother ships.
In addition, the port has also attracted and linked with many major shipping corporations and port operators in the world and attracted the world’s leading shipping lines to call at the port. The “soft” infrastructure and the infrastructure behind the port are synchronous and appropriate.
The appropriate structure and length of the wharf and the high efficiency of loading and unloading and maritime services combined with a reasonable and competitive structure of prices, charges, fees, and services should make Cai Mep- Thi Vai is currently one of 23 ports in the world that can receive ships with a tonnage of up to 250,000 tons, belonging to the group of 50 seaports with the highest container handling capacity in the world, annually contributing more than 20,000 to the central budget. billion dong of import and export tax.
Mr. Tran Hoang Vu, Director of Ship Operations and Transport of Maersk Shipping Lines in Vietnam, said that Cai Mep-Thi Vai is an important import-export gateway of Vietnam and also an attractive destination for transshipment goods. scene.
Through Cai Mep-Thi Vai, shipping lines can deploy large ships and service routes connecting directly from Vietnam to major markets in the world, achieving higher economic efficiency than having to transshipment. through the transshipment port.
In 2021, Maersk has deployed Triple E-generation ships such as Margrethe Maersk, Merete Maersk to CMIT and Gemalink ports in Cai Mep-Thi Vai and deployed 2 more service routes directly connecting Cai Mep-Thi Vai with important ports in North America.
In the coming time, the company will continue to consider Cai Mep-Thi Vai as one of the key areas to promote growth.
From the perspective of import-export customers, Mr. Truong Dinh Ut, Head of Import-Export Department of Nha Be Garment Company, said that businesses choose to import and export goods through Cai Mep-Thi Vai port cluster, especially the port of the General Corporation. Saigon Newport Corporation (SNP) exploits. Because, this is a gateway port cluster that can directly connect goods to US and European ports without transshipment at other ports in the region, helping businesses save a lot of time and costs. .
In addition, enterprises can also take advantage of the logistics ecosystem provided by the port facilities and logistics facilities in SNP’s system such as Tan Cang Cat Lai port, Tan Cang-Long Binh ICD, Tan Cang-Song Than ICD.
Regarding the development prospect of Cai Mep-Thi Vai port cluster, Mr. Pham Anh Tuan, General Director of Portcoast Engineering and Port Design Consulting Joint Stock Company, affirmed that Cai Mep-Thi Vai port cluster still has a large area in the area. The area for development is Cai Mep Ha area.
Therefore, it is necessary to create long berth routes to receive many mother ships simultaneously; to develop industrial parks in the port area to create the initial source of goods; adding logistics service centers, depots, warehouses; arrange more berths for container ships.
Phu My town or Vung Tau city will become a connection center for shipping lines, global shippers… To do so, it is necessary to develop transport infrastructure connecting the region with Cai Mep-Thi Vai.
Although the development potential is still very large, in reality, Cai Mep-Thi Vai port cluster has not yet attracted many large shipping lines and has not yet fully met the conditions to become an international transshipment port due to the lack of an international transshipment port. Several factors and “choke points” need to be removed soon.
According to Mr. Tran Kim Vinh Tho, for Cai Mep-Thi Vai to become a real gateway and international transshipment port according to the Prime Minister’s plan, it is recommended that competent authorities continue to direct research, establish and deploy breakthrough policy mechanism for the port cluster.
Thereby, allowing the application of a preferential tax system, attracting investment into a free trade zone, and soon forming the Cai Mep Ha Logistics Center; building a stable and favorable legal system for businesses to attract international transshipment goods through the port.
Mr. Truong Dinh Ut and representatives of SNP’s client businesses said that, despite their advantages, road infrastructure projects connect Cai Mep-Thi Vai with key production areas in Ho Chi Minh City. Minh, Dong Nai, Binh Duong, Mekong Delta have not been completed according to the plan.
The lack of modern multimodal logistics centers and related services makes it impossible for businesses to optimize, save costs and time.
Besides, Cai Mep-Thi Vai port cluster has been in operation since 2010, but the direct delivery rate here is still low.
Part of the reason is that the quarantine agencies do not have offices here, so it takes time when businesses need to take samples. The officer in charge must move from the headquarters in Ho Chi Minh City to Cai Mep-Thi Vai.
In addition, shipping lines and FWD companies (the FWD company will focus on two main areas including transportation and customs procedures) also do not have field offices in Cai Mep-Thi Vai, so when changing orders or need stamp will have to go to Ho Chi Minh City.
Representatives of businesses mentioned shortcomings, currently, Cai Mep-Thi Vai area still lacks empty container yards, lacks a general warehouse system for CFS, bonded goods, lacks inland ports, barge berths .. .
This leads to high logistics costs of enterprises, because paradoxically, although Cai Mep-Thi Vai is very close to the sources of goods in Dong Nai and Ba Ria-Vung Tau, businesses in this area still pull goods back. Ho Chi Minh City and then take a barge to Cai Mep-Thi Vai, because the cost and time of logistics using road and customs clearance at Cai Mep-Thi Vai is higher. Therefore, it is necessary to soon deploy offices of quarantine, sampling agencies, shipping lines, FWD right at Cai Mep-Thi Vai port.
Import-export businesses suggested that the Ministry of Transport, relevant sectors and units should focus resources to accelerate the completion of the Phuoc An bridge project connecting the Ba Ria-Vung Tau inter-port road. with Nhon Trach area and Ben Luc-Long Thanh highway.
This route is put into operation, along with the Bien Hoa-Vung Tau expressway being invested, which will help the traffic connecting the southwestern provinces through Ho Chi Minh City, Dong Nai to Ba Ria-Vung Tau be convenient. more convenient, reducing traffic pressure for National Highway 51, which is increasingly overloaded.
At the same time, import-export businesses suggested that the Maritime Administration continue to propose the Ministry of Transport and relevant agencies, departments and sectors to consider and soon deploy dredging of the navigation channel to Cai Mep port area towards the direction of Cai Mep port. to a depth of 19m with a vision to 2030, creating a capacity strong enough to attract large tonnage ships into this area.
Sharing the same view, Mr. Tran Hoang Vu and representatives of shipping lines also said that it is necessary to promptly maintain dredging and further improve the depth of navigation channels for larger ships to enter the port; quickly complete the infrastructure connecting with Cai Mep-Thi Vai as planned; at the same time, it is necessary to maintain the cost competitiveness of Cai Mep-Thi Vai compared to other ports in the country and in the region.
Emphasizing the need for breakthrough policies to develop Cai Mep-Thi Vai port cluster, including an open port policy, to further facilitate the clearance of goods, Chairman of the People’s Committee of Ba Ria province -Vung Tau Nguyen Van Tho said the province proposed to promote logistics and transport infrastructure with solutions such as piloting an open port mechanism at the container port cluster in Cai Mep area, establishing a Customs Inspection Sub-Department at Cai Mep. port area, deploying Bien Hoa-Vung Tau expressway project, ring road 4, Bien Hoa-Vung Tau railway project and especially Cai Mep Ha Logistics Center project with a total investment of about 19,200 billions dong./.
Minh Hung-Thanh Tra
VNA/Vietnam+