Tan Cang – Phu Huu Port in HCM City’s District 9. (Photo: VNA)HCM City (VNA) - The Ministry of Transporthas announced plans to limit the cargo handled at HCM City’s Cat Lai Port sincevolumes are exceeding its handling capacity, exerting pressure on the city’stransport infrastructure.
According to the Maritime Department, the cargo handled at CatLai Port has been increasing relentlessly, going up from 47 million tonnes in2016 to 56 million tonnes last year, causing traffic flows into the port alsoto rise.
Statistics from the HCM City Department of Transport show thatthis year 19,775 vehicles entered the port every day on average, an increase of14 percent from last year.
But despite the port overload and traffic congestion,enterprises from Dong Nai and Long An provinces prefer to route their cargothrough Cat Lai instead of other ports such as Hiep Phuoc (in Nha Be district)and Cai Mep – Thi Vai (in Ba Ria – Vung Tau).
The Maritime Department explained that at 5 million VND percontainer, the cost at Cai Mep – Thi Vai is double that of Cat Lai.
Besides, agencies such as animal, plant and food quarantineand product quality examination have yet to open offices at Cai Mep – Thi VaiPort.
At Cai Mep – Thi Vai Port, there are few empty containersmeaning importers need to transport them from HCM City, Binh Duong or Long Anadding 50 percent to the transport cost.
Owners of shipping lines also choose Cat Lai because it hasother advantages such as good location in terms of being closer to the sourceof cargo and government offices and good services at competitive prices.
Some four vessels leave Cai Mep – Thi Vai every week while60-70 leave Cat Lai, offering more options to clients.
Due to various reasons, transportation costs are lower at CatLai than Cai Mep – Thi Vai Port, the Maritime Department said.
HCM City authorities consider the road leading to Cat LaiPort a traffic hot spot.
The Maritime Department has proposed banning transport oflarge volumes of cargo to and from the port by land and has instead proposedthe use of inland waterways for the purpose.
Cargo from Dong Nai and Long An provinces and Hiep Phuoc (inHCM City’s District 9) should be transported to and from ports and inlandcontainer depots by inland waterways, it said.
Cargo to and from the Mekong Delta would also be transportedfrom Cat Lai by inland waterways, it said.
The department wants the Ministry of Agriculture and RuralDevelopment to permanently station animal and plantation quarantine inspectorsat the Cai Mep – Thi Vai Port.
The finance ministry has instructed the Vietnam CustomsBureau to install security screening equipment at Cat Lai Port.
It has instructed the Vietnam Customs Bureau and the HCMCity and Ba Ria- Vung Tau customs departments to create favourable conditionsfor enterprises to unload their cargo at Cai Mep – Thi Vai, Hiep Phuoc andother ports in the region.
The Ministries of Transportation and Finance will cut tollscharged on National Highway No 51 for trucks and other vehicles transportingcargo between Cai Mep – Thi Vai Port and factories and industrial parks in DongNai and Binh Dương provinces.
The Government has instructed the ministries to offerincentives to vessels of under 50,000DWT to attract them to Cai Mep – Thi VaiPort.
Nguyen Phuong Nam, manager of Cat Lai, said to ease thetraffic on roads leading to the port, it had collaborated with the citytransportation department and other relevant agencies to set up a team toeffect measures to unclog them.
The team has also joined hands with the CustomsBureau to facilitate transport of cargo from Dong Nai and Ba Ria – Vung Tauprovinces to Cai Mep – Thi Vai Port.
Port authorities in Cai Mep – Thi Vai are also offeringincentives such as reducing and waiving cargo handling fees and assisting withcustoms formalities to attract customers.-VNA
VNA
