Deputy PM Trinh Dinh Dung speaking at the conference (Photo: VGP) Speakingat a conference held in Hanoi on August 1 to review the implementation of the2014 Government decree on development ofthe fisheries sector, the Deputy PM asked central and local leaders tofocus on removing its limitations.
TheMinistry of Agricultural and Rural Development (MARD) should review the fishingvessel registration process to ensure the ships are in good condition.Supervision of the shipbuilding process and the people involved should bestepped up, he said.
Healso wanted commercial banks to untangle loan procedures for fishermen.
“Disciplinaryaction should be taken against individuals and organisations involved in thefaulty implementation of the decree,” he said.
TheDeputy PM also called for changes to the decree that should be made publicwithin the fourth quarter of this year and go into effect at the beginning ofnext year.
Evaluatingoverall implementation of the decree in recent years, Deputy PM Dung said itwas a groundbreaking, comprehensive policy that served the needs of fishermenand contributed to the development of the country’s marine economy.
Under Decree 67 (dated July 7, 2014), ship owners buildingsteel or ships with new material (other than wood) with engine capacitiesbetween 400CV and 800CV can borrow up to 90 percent of the total cost at theinterest rate of 7 percent per year.
Reports from localities show that under the Decree, shipowners in 27 of 28 coastal provinces and cities had borrowed money to buildand/or renovate 1,948 – or 85 percent – of the total 2,284 fishing ships.
By July 31, some 760 vessels had been pressed into service.Of these 460 were newly-built (301 steel-clad ships, 53 composite and 407wooden) and 105 others renovated.
Earlier in May, some 40 ships built in the central provincesof Binh Dinh, Phu Yen, Thanh Hoa andQuang Nam were reported to be in bad condition, their shells rusty, machinesbroken and equipment malfunctioning.
Repairs of these vessels are expected to be completed by theend of next month.
DeputyMinister of Agriculture and Rural Development Vu Van Tam said there wereshortcomings in the selection of shipbuilding companies, design consultationand construction supervision, since it was the first time fishermen were takingpart in building steel-ships.
Thistime, MARD would oversee the repairs and bring the vessels back into operationas soon as possible, he said, asking fishermen to conduct periodicalrenovations and repairs.
Tamalso highlighted high interest rate on loans as a drawback of Decree67. “Its loan mechanism is unsuitable for fishermen, and there is no riskmanagement mechanism for commercial banks, which discourages fishermen fromborrowing money and banks from providing loans,” he said.-VNA
VNA
