Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc (third from left) visits Cai Mep international terminal (Photo: VNA) Ba Ria – Vung Tau (VNA) – Prime Minister NguyenXuan Phuc has asked relevant ministries, agencies and the southern province ofBa Ria – Vung Tau to develop the seaport and logistics system at Cai Mep – ThiVai area to meet regional standards by 2030 towards becoming a world-classseaport hub in the world by 2045.
He made the request during a working session with provincialofficials on March 20, while highlighting the province’s advantage in seaports,which the PM said could contribute to the development of the country and thesoutheastern region.
Hailing the province for its achievements insocio-economy, national defence-security and Party building work, he noted thatlocal seaports’ growth of about 2 percent amid the pandemic is good news.
The PM mentioned the Party’s guidelines and the13th National Party Congress’s Resolution on the upgrade of seaportsnationwide, including building logistics and transportation infrastructure inthe region and improving service quality. He said as Cai Mep – Thi Vai Porttogether with Lach Huyen Port in Hai Phong city are among the top deep-waterseaports in the world, they create an advantage for the country in development.
At the same time, PM Phuc pointed out problems of the region,including incomplete transport infrastructure and a lack of modern logisticsfacilities, financial and banking system, and a strong fleet of ships, which must beaddressed promptly.
He told relevant ministries and agencies toimprove infrastructure at Cai Mep – Thi Vai Port, early start the constructionof the Bien Hoa – Vung Tau expressway and Phuoc An bridge to facilitate thetransportation of goods for import and export.
Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc at the working session (Photo: VNA)
The Government leader directed enhancing logisticsinfrastructure, including establishing a goods distribution centre linking LongThanh international airport and Cai Mep – Thi Vai seaport. He assigned theFinance Ministry to set up a centre to facilitate customs clearance at Cai Mep– Thi Vai seaport and attract more vessels and financial brokers to the port.
The leader also suggested building plans to formfinancial-banking-insurance hubs in Phu My town, Vung Tau city, while developingindustrial and processing zones to shape a for-export processing centre in theprovince. He agreed with a proposal to open a free trade area at Cai Mep areato attract more foreign investors and a project on connecting Con Dao islanddistrict with the national grid.
Earlier in the morning, PM Phuc inspected the CaiMep – Thi Vai deep-water seaport system, including Gemalink - the country’sdeepest and largest deep-water seaport.
The Cai Mep – Thi Vai port complex is a group of deep-waterseaports with a combined length of over 20km, which account for over 30 percentof the country’s exports by containers, which are expected to be a tradegateway in the south.
Gemalink is the biggest seaport in the Cai Mep-ThiVai complex and one of the 19 big seaports in the world which is capable ofreceiving the world’s biggest cruise liners. Built at a total investment of 520million USD in two phases, the port is equipped with ship-to-shore cranesdesigned and manufactured in Vietnam. When the first phase of the port is inauguratedin May, it will run at at least 80 percent of its designed capacity this yearand at full capacity from next year.
During the trip, the PM also visited Tan Cang –Cai Mep International Terminal – a joint-venture between Saigon New PortCorporation and three foreign partners with a total investment of 100 millionUSD. Operational in January 2011, the terminal is capable of serving supervessels up to 160,000 DWT.
Over the past years, Ba Ria – Vung Tau has alwaysbeen one of the five biggest contributors to the State budget. It is home to 69seaports./.
