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Artist’s impression of the Can Gio International Transit Port.
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The Vietnam Government Office has just issued Notification No. 418/TB-VPCP dated September 13, 2024, on the conclusion of Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha at the meeting on the Investment Policy Dossier for the Saigon Gateway International Transit Port Project (named in the Planning as the Can Gio International Transit Port).
In the Notification, the Deputy Prime Minister requests the Ministry of Transport, the People’s Committee of Ho Chi Minh City, and relevant ministries and sectors to coordinate with the Ministry of Planning and Investment in appraising the Project dossier in accordance with the Law on Investment and related guiding decrees, ensuring strictness, completeness, and compliance with the authority of the Prime Minister as per the requirements of the Deputy Prime Minister in Document No. 5714/VPCP-CN dated August 12, 2024.
The Ministry of Planning and Investment and the People’s Committee of Ho Chi Minh City are tasked with guiding and supporting the Project’s investors in studying and fully absorbing the written opinions and remarks made at the meeting by the ministries and agencies. They are also responsible for supplementing and completing the Project proposal as per legal regulations and submitting it to the Ministry of Planning and Investment for appraisal and submission to the Prime Minister for consideration and decision in September 2024.
Regarding the objectives and requirements, the Ministry of Planning and Investment is responsible for appraising and clearly defining the conditions, objectives, and requirements for the investment and operation of the Can Gio International Transit Port project. This includes focusing on identifying factors for the next five years (up to 2030) and ensuring that the investment in building the Can Gio International Transit Port is only carried out if it serves the interests of the nation and its people. The draft investment policy decision must also clearly define the basic and major contents that must comply with legal regulations and any additional contents that can be considered for supplementation and improvement after the approval of the investment policy, during the process of formulating the feasibility study report and approving the investment project. It is imperative to select an investor with sufficient capacity and experience in investing in, constructing, and operating an international transit port that can compete regionally and globally, fostering sustainable development, prosperity, security, and safety, while also ensuring national defense, security, and the protection of independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity, in line with Resolution No. 36-NQ/TW dated October 22, 2018, of the Party Central Committee.
Port Development Plan must ensure comprehensiveness: The Deputy Prime Minister requested the Ministry of Planning and Investment to coordinate with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of Science and Technology, and the People’s Committee of Ho Chi Minh City to make maximum use of the information and data from the project proposal for constructing the Can Gio International Transit Port prepared by the People’s Committee of Ho Chi Minh City. This will facilitate the updating and completion of the pre-feasibility study report, thereby optimizing the appraisal and approval process for the investment policy of the Project.
The Port Development Plan must ensure comprehensiveness, synchronization, and reasonable staging for each phase, aligning with the port planning and demand forecast for cargo throughput. It should also clearly define the orientation of the port’s main functional areas, including service areas directly serving port operations, administrative areas, areas for state management agencies specialized in ports, fuel supply areas (including gasoline, other fuels, clean water, electricity, etc.), and if necessary, engage foreign consulting units with strong capabilities and experience.
The Investment Solution and Roadmap must be carefully considered and selected based on a thorough assessment of the impact and influence between the Can Gio International Transit Port and other ports. It should also address the relationship between Can Gio and the Cai Mep terminal of Ba Ria-Vung Tau port and the mutual influence between implemented projects, as well as the utilization and exploitation of maritime channels and shared infrastructure.
No compromise on the environment: In addition to assessing the impact and relationship between the Can Gio terminal and the Cai Mep terminal, it is essential to outline the infrastructure investment plan in line with the orientation and planning of Ho Chi Minh City’s development (with the city taking responsibility for announcing infrastructure development plans, including transportation, electricity, water, etc., to serve the investment and operation of the Can Gio terminal). Given that the project is located in the world’s first biosphere reserve in Vietnam, holding great value and significance for Ho Chi Minh City and the region, a comprehensive and meticulous assessment of its environmental impact is imperative. In deciding on the investment policy, there must be no compromise on the environment, and the area and size of forest land that needs to be converted must be clearly specified (location and impact). The Ministries of Natural Resources and Environment, Agriculture and Rural Development, and Foreign Affairs must provide comprehensive and specific information and express clear opinions regarding the project’s environmental impact.
Technology: The port operation technology should be oriented towards modernity and environmental friendliness, keeping up with global trends, and be defined in the overall and specific designs for each phase to ensure the investor’s most efficient operation. The Ministries of Transport and Science and Technology are responsible for clarifying this aspect in the report and providing clear directions for the subsequent steps in selecting the investor. These contents must be included in the project’s investment policy.
Green Port Criteria: The appraisal report and draft investment policy decision must define the requirements for Ho Chi Minh City and the investor to implement infrastructure investments that ensure green port criteria for the phases up to 2030, 2035, and 2050 (plans and roadmaps for providing clean and environmentally friendly fuel, infrastructure investments, requirements for vessels calling at the port, etc.).
The Ministry of Planning and Investment is responsible for appraising and evaluating relevant contents in accordance with regulations (such as planning, land use, forest land conversion, technology, environment, duration, investment stages, socio-economic efficiency, investment capital, etc.) to ensure that when the Prime Minister approves the investment policy, it has been thoroughly and carefully considered in accordance with legal regulations, especially regarding the environment (no compromise on the environment and no “sacrifice” of the environment; ensuring overall benefits and harmony, avoiding conflicts and negative impacts on other projects…).
Adherence to the Overall Investment Solution: Regarding the selection of the investor, the Deputy Prime Minister requested Ho Chi Minh City to refer to Resolution 98/2023/QH15 of the National Assembly on piloting some special mechanisms and policies for the development of Ho Chi Minh City. The city should consider supplementing some other important criteria for selecting a strategic investor, including attracting shipping lines with a large market share globally, requirements for investment scale and capital investment within five years (completing the investment of four ports with a total capital of approximately 1.5 billion USD), cooperating with domestic enterprises in port investment and operation, and committing to attracting a certain volume of international transshipment cargo through the port, etc.
The selected investor must ensure the implementation of the investment in accordance with the overall investment solution, synchronization, and investment roadmap as required by the state management agency and proposed by Ho Chi Minh City.
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