THE VPA ANNUAL MEETING 2012
August 21-22, 2012 – Da Nang City

Based on the orientation, policy and regulations governing the ports of Vietnam, and based on the status, demand on port operations and development and as proposed by the member ports, the Vietnam Seaports Association has the following recommendations for resolutions by relevant authorities:

1. To consider the development and operations of the sea ports infrastructure as the spearhead in the development of maritime economy; and from that, to have concrete policy and mechanism to promote development, worldwide competitiveness of the national focal ports, international transshipment ports in combination with other integrated policies for the development of open ports with economic zones, industrial parks in the port hinterlands as well as supporting systems to promote trade, financing, logistics services etc.


2. To formulate the reform system for development and administration of sea port and maritime channel infrastructure following the port authority model in combination with the regulations for Public Private Partnership (PPP) to attract investment in port development at proper dimension, priority and efficiency. Through such system to promote the role of the State in regulating the port investment and operations as well as maritime activities country wide.


3. To ensure the integrity between port master plans and hinterland connections by roads, bridges, channels together with regulations to ensure sources of capital expenditures for implementation. More concretely, to reserve land and water areas covering transport corridors and port hinterland areas with land resources sufficient enough for long term (more than 50 years) port development master plans enabling the land-for-infrastructure mechanism to operate and develop in an integral manner toward modern dimension, avoiding the piece meal division and occupation of land areas in the backside of the ports as currently occurring. If practically possible, to adjust the limiting parameters within the master plans (e.g. limiting the size of vessels calling Cai Mep ports) to meet the market potentials.


4. For the immediate future, to ensure the timely completion of the road, bridge, channel components for the ports under construction or investment, specifically:



a) Road connections: road connecting NR 5 to the Dinh Vu port area in Hai Phong; hinterland connections to Tien Sa Port, Da Nang; Interprovincial Road 25B to Cat Lai Port in HCMC; roads to the ports in Hiep Phuoc industrial zone; road to new Ben Nghe Port at Phu Huu, district 9, HCMC… To speed up the implementation of national road and rail corridor projects connecting the focal economic areas and the ports; 

b) Channels: leading to Can Tho Port, Hai Phong Port, ports in the central area including the ports of Cua Lo, Quang Binh, Thuan An, Da Nang, Qui Nhon, Cat Lai, Hiep Phuoc. For the channel to Thi Vai, Cai Mep area in particular, the upgrading, official announcement should be made timely based on market demand. To consider the adjustment of the master plan to have the channel dredged deeper for large container vessels of more than 100,000 DWT to call the ports in this area, thus to develop this Thi Vai Cai Mep port area into internationally competitive port. For the channel on Hau River, there is a need to keep on dredging the existing channel to maintain the navigability at least as before in waiting for the implementation of the new channel via Quan Chanh Bo canal. For Soai Rap channel to Hiep Phuoc area, there should be solution to dredge up to the master plan and as committed with the investors in port and port urban projects in this area;


c) In the areas of high navigation density and having restrictions on night time navigation on the channel, to have additional safety measures such as navigational aids, lighting, dredging etc; to ease up restrictions and improve navigation flow (Hai Phong, HCMC areas).

5. For key national ports, there should be strategic and flexible policy and measures to quickly develop to higher dimensions to compete internationally, in which regulatory mechanism should be applied to facilitate the development of the market, giving priority to warrant the viability of large investment projects, facilitating the quick transition of the market toward using deep water ports to reduce the import/export costs, strengthening the role of the port enterprises in land at the national gateway ports. Beside that, it is necessary to detach the large investment projects with long term yield from the consolidated income statement of the investment enterprises.


6. To speed up the improvement of Customs procedures aiming at facilitating the declaration, checking, screening of containers to ensure port security up to ASEAN standards. To have specific regulations to attract transshipment containers. To have close cooperation between Customs and the ports regarding the standardization, information processing, communications on computer network, leading to the establishment to put into operation electronic network systems connecting the transport and maritime communities in general; for the immediate future to have such system for the national focal economic port areas capable of competing regionally and internationally in container transshipment.


7. Following the Labor Law as revised in 2012, the Ministry of Transportation is proposed to have consultation with the Ministry of Labor – Invalids and Social Affairs, to have provisions on the working and resting time of the labor working at the sea ports, allowing “the average normal working time, in case of applying the working hours by week, of not more than 12 hours (instead of 10 hours) per day but not exceeding 48 hours per week” to meet the demand of the type of work having special characteristics in the field of port business, operations.


8. Under current difficult credit market, priority on capital, low interest rate or restructuring options should be given to port and infrastructure connectivity projects under construction and need to be completed quickly.


9. To strengthen measures to protect the environment, in particular to prevent and response to oil spill incidences, disposal of wastes and oily water in port areas. It is needed to have reception facilities for waste disposal from maritime activities in the main port areas in line with the international conventions at favorable borrowing conditions or by state funding as public utility services since ports are lacking conditions to warrant the investment viability./