Mekong Delta to accelerate transport infrastructure development

Inland waterway transport is common in Mekong Delta. (Source: buffalotours.com)

Can Tho (VNA) – The Steering Committee for the Southwestern Region and the Ministry of Transport agreed to submit to the government the transport development plan for the region until 2020 with a vision to 2030.

Under the plan, the region will have 83 new projects with an investment of 125.3 trillion VND (5.6 billion USD); of which, there are 45 road projects with a combined capital of 90.3 billion VND (4 billion USD).

The plan also envisions four projects in aviation worth some 5.2 trillion VND (232 million USD), 22 others in maritime transport with an estimated investment of 18 trillion VND (807 million USD) and 14 in inland waterway valued at 11,8 trillion VND (530 million USD).

The committee said besides completing projects under implementation, priority will be given to key projects to boost linkage in the region.

According to Tran Huu Hiep, a permanent member of the committee, despite having a dense network of rivers and canals, inland waterway transport in the Mekong Delta has not developed as it should have, failing to help enterprises cut costs and boost competitiveness.

Deputy Minister of Transport Nguyen Nhat said the ministry has assigned two units to work on developing the logistics system in the region and the World Bank has committed to an initial investment of 3.5 million USD in the region’s logistics sector.-VNA