Investments

Unlocking the Potential: Embracing Flexibility in Port and Harbor Planning

The Government Office has issued Document No. 406/TB-VPCP dated September 5, 2024, announcing the conclusions of Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha at the meeting on the Detailed Planning for the Group of Seaports, Harbors, Piers, Moorings, Water Areas and Zones for the period 2021 - 2030, with a vision towards 2050.

Administrator

6 September, 2024

Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha directed that, although it is a detailed plan, it should not be a rigid one. It must ensure comprehensiveness and foresight to serve as a foundation for the regional land and water port planning.

The announcement clarified that the Detailed Planning for Port Groups is a specialized technical plan under the Law on Planning, which specifies the Master Plan for the Development of Vietnam’s Seaport System for the period of 2021 – 2030, with a vision towards 2050.

To ensure quality and a solid basis for approval, Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha instructed the Ministry of Transport and the Government Office to thoroughly review the procedures, processes, and authorities involved in the formulation, appraisal, and approval of the Detailed Planning for Port Groups, ensuring compliance with relevant laws on planning, maritime, and transportation.

The Ministry of Transport, as the planning agency, and the consulting units are responsible for the accuracy of information and data in the Detailed Planning for Port Groups. They are also accountable for the accuracy of forecasts and consistency between this planning and related plans, including the National Master Plan for 2021-2030, with a vision towards 2050; the Master Plan for the Development of Vietnam’s Seaport System for 2021-2030, and other national, regional, and provincial plans. The principle of lower-level planning adhering to higher-level planning must be followed.

Newly added port berths and areas must be evaluated for a mutually beneficial outcome.

Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha emphasized that the content of the Detailed Planning for Port Groups should ensure the principles and perspectives of synchronized and unified planning based on scientific criteria. It should consider dynamic and open planning, anticipating solutions for emerging issues. The Ministry of Transport and the planning agency should regularly monitor and evaluate, promptly reporting to the competent authority when unexpected changes occur.

The newly added port berths and areas must be assessed from the perspective of goals, vision, and overall effectiveness, aiming for a mutually beneficial outcome. The evaluation should consider the relationship and impact of new port berths on large-scale strategic projects. Particular attention must be given to Port Group 4, which includes the lower and upper Cai Mep port berths in the Cai Mep – Thi Vai area and the Can Gio International Transit Port. These require thorough and comprehensive consideration and calculation of related issues.

While emphasizing the need for a detailed plan, Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha stated that it should not be rigid. It must ensure comprehensiveness and foresight to serve as a foundation for regional land and water port planning. The planning should attract infrastructure investment (port berths) and encourage the participation of powerful investors (shipping companies and enterprises).

It is necessary to study mechanisms and policies for port infrastructure development and effective planning implementation. This includes considering state investment in key port berths that are essential for state ownership and management. Clear distinctions should be made between the responsibilities of the state and investors in port infrastructure and port operation-related infrastructure investments.

Nhat Quang