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Foreign visitors arrive at the Chan May Port
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Reputable names
FIA said that foreign investors have invested in 10 large container ports in the Southern Key Economic Zone. The Cai Mep - Thi Vai area in Ba Ria - Vung Tau province has been identified as one of the places where deepwater seaports will be developed. Some 20 foreign investors, including reputable names such as HIT of Hong Kong (China), SSA of the US and CMA-CGM of France, have asked for permission to invest in building ports in this area.
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The Hiep Phuoc area in Nha Be district, Ho Chi Minh City is in the process of dredging the Soai Rap River. Dubai Ports World (DP World), the worlds second largest seaport group, has come to this area and finished the first stage of the Saigon Premier Container Terminal (SPCT) project.
In the north, the Prime Minister has approved the plan to develop the Lach Huyen port in the city of Hai Phong to 2020 with an orientation for 2030. The objective of this plan is to turn Lach Huyen into an international gateway port of northern Vietnam, which can accommodate 6,000TEU ships or freighters with loading capacity of 80,000 tonnes or more. Do Nhat Hoang, the director of FIA, said that Japanese investors are very interested in the Lach Huyen Port project.
In March 2010, the Itochu Group of Japan officially asked the Vietnamese Ministry of Transport for permission to cooperate with the Vietnam National Shipping Lines (Vinalines) in investing in the construction of the Lach Huyen International Gateway Port in Hai Phong. Specifically, Itochu wants to invest, together with Vinalines, in Component B of this project, i.e. building two container ports with total investment capital of US$165 million in the mode of PPP (Public Private Partnership).
Do Nhat Hoang said that the presence of the worlds large seaport groups in Vietnam is a positive signal for the Vietnamese seaport sector in particular and the marine economy in general. It is these groups, with their international reputation, that will attract a large number of customers to Vietnam, linking Vietnam to the world.
Opportunities
At a meeting that took place in July 2010 in the city of Hai Phong to promote investment in the Vietnamese marine economy, many experts shared the opinion that Vietnam does not yet utilize its advantages to develop the marine economy.
They explained that with every 100sq.km of mainland, Vietnam has 1sq.km of coastline, and this ratio is six times higher than the worlds average. However, it is estimated that the gross domestic product (GDP) of the sea-based economy and that of coastal localities account for just 47-48 percent of the countrys total GDP (the GDP of the sea-based economy accounts for only 20-22 percent of the countrys total GDP). Activities such as oil and gas exploration and extraction, seafood catching, shipping and marine tourism create 98 percent of the GDP of the marine economy. Economic sectors that are related directly to these activities, for example ship building and repairing, oil and gas processing, seafood processing, marine information and communications, are developing but create just two percent of the GDP of the marine economy and 0.4 percent of the total GDP of Vietnam. Therefore, the Vietnamese marine economy is open to welcome foreign investors who are interested in the fields such as marine tourism, seafood processing, marine information and communications.
The objective of Decree 09-NQ/TW dated February 9, 2007 regarding the Vietnam Sea Strategy to 2020 is to build a strong Vietnamese marine economy that creates 53-55 percent of the countrys total GDP.
Many localities that have a long coastline such as Hai Phong, Quang Ninh, provinces/cities in the Central Key Economic Zone (Da Nang, Thua Thien Hue, Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, Binh Dinh), Ba Ria - Vung Tau and Ho Chi Minh City have put in place preferential policies to attract investment into the marine economy.
Dan Duc Hiep, the vice chairman of the Hai Phong Peoples Committee, said that the city prioritizes investment in coastal economic zones and industrial parks in order to form a network of key economic zones and industrial parks, which will be a driving force for industrial development in the city. The Dinh Vu Economic Zone in Cat Hai district will be developed as one of the modern economic centers for international trade exchange between Vietnam and the rest of the world.
Trinh Minh Van, an official from the Center for Promotion of Investment into the Central Key Economic Zone, said that localities in this zone are actively attracting foreign investment into not only the marine economy but also any other economic sector./.
Chu Huynh