Dak Lak (VNA) – Party General Secretary and State President To Lam's call for integrated management of the seaports, logistics and economic corridors at the opening ceremony of the 14th Party Central Committee's third plenum is reshaping the central province of Dak Lak's development strategy.
Following its its merger with Phu Yen province, Dak Lak now combines the Central Highlands' vast agricultural resources with a long coastline, seaports and coastal economic zones, creating new opportunities for marine-based growth and logistics.
New growth space
Developing the marine economy is a major strategic priority of the Party and State, as clearly set out in Resolution No. 36-NQ/TW, issued on October 22, 2018, by the 12th Party Central Committee on the Strategy for the Sustainable Development of Vietnam’s Marine Economy through 2030, with a vision to 2045.
With a coastline stretching nearly 189 kilometers, featuring a network of straits, bays, lagoons, and seaports with significant development potential, Dak Lak is well positioned to advance its marine economy, particularly through the harvesting, aquaculture, and processing of high-value seafood products.
Its eastern area is home to the South Phu Yen Economic Zone, coastal industrial parks, Bai Goc Port, Vung Ro Port and a logistics network linking the Central Highlands with international markets.
Economist Can Van Luc said Dak Lak is uniquely placed to become a gateway connecting the Central Highlands with the South Central Coast. Strategic infrastructure, including the Khanh Hoa–Buon Ma Thuot Expressway and Buon Ma Thuot and Tuy Hoa airports, could support an integrated value chain spanning raw materials, processing, logistics, seaports and exports.
He urged the province to shift from a raw-material economy towards one driven by deep processing, logistics, marine industries, tourism, renewable energy and digital governance.
Logistics expert Nguyen Thanh Han noted that Dak Lak is the only Central Highlands province with both extensive agricultural production and direct access to seaports. Under Vietnam's national port development plan, the Vung Ro–Bai Goc port complex is expected to expand to 16–17 berths by 2030, enabling it to handle large container and bulk cargo vessels and serve as the Central Highlands' import and export gateway.
The province also boasts major coastal attractions, including Ganh Da Dia, Bai Mon–Mui Dien, Vung Ro Bay and Xuan Dai Bay, offering strong potential for sustainable marine tourism.
Tackling logistics bottlenecks
The provincial Master Plan for 2021–2030, with a vision to 2050, outlines a new spatial development framework comprising three distinct economic regions: the western highlands growth region, the eastern coastal economic growth region, and the transitional midland region.
The western highlands growth region consists of 30 communes and wards, stretching from Song Cau through Tuy Hoa to Dong Hoa, including the adjacent maritime area. It is designated for the development of a comprehensive marine economy, metallurgical and petrochemical industries, seaport services, offshore energy, and related sectors.
The province also prioritises the expansion of the South Phu Yen Economic Zone, promoting the development of heavy industrial complexes that leverage the advantages of deep-water seaports, including oil refining and petrochemicals, crude oil storage facilities, metallurgy, clean energy, and high-tech industries.
Dak Lak has planned 12 logistics centres covering about 1,000ha, linked with inland ports, industrial parks, Vung Ro and Bai Goc ports, Buon Ma Thuot and Tuy Hoa airports, and key transport routes.
However, major bottlenecks remain. Planned logistics hubs have yet to be completed, while cold storage, bonded warehouses, inland container depots and professional logistics services remain limited. Industrial infrastructure is still incomplete, links between production areas, processors and logistics providers are weak, and digital supply-chain management remains underdeveloped.
According to the provincial Department of Industry and Trade, logistics has become a strategic asset rather than simply a transport service. It will determine the province's ability to integrate into global value chains by reducing logistics costs, attracting investment in deep processing and supporting direct exports through its ports.
The department called for specialised logistics centres serving coffee, durian, fruit, seafood and food processing, greater digitalisation of supply chains, and stronger investment from major logistics and export companies. Better integration of raw material production, deep processing, logistics, seaports and international markets, it said, would help establish Dak Lak as a processing, logistics and export hub for the Central Highlands while supporting sustainable economic growth./.
