Ho Chi Minh City consults ministries, departments, and provinces on the project for the 'super' port of Can Gio

By tuoitre.vn - 28/11/2023

Following the directive of Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha, Ho Chi Minh City has completed the project for the Can Gio International Transshipment Port. The city will send it to central ministries and sectors for feedback before submitting it to the Prime Minister by the end of December 2023.

Through various workshops, Ho Chi Minh City has completed the project for the Can Gio International Transshipment Port. The project has clarified elements related to its impact on the environment, culture, competition, and contributions to the socio-economic development of Ho Chi Minh City and the region.

The project also specifies the suitable conditions that the Can Gio area meets for constructing an international transshipment port.

In terms of planning, the Can Gio transshipment port is mentioned in various resolutions, highlighting its importance and necessity for construction.

The most recent in Resolution 98 on piloting some special mechanisms and policies for the development of Ho Chi Minh City also emphasizes that 'The project to build the Can Gio International Transshipment Port is among the prioritized sectors and fields for attracting strategic investors to the city'.

Additionally, the Central Committee, National Assembly, and Government also provide guidance and assign tasks for research and implementation. The central authorities deem this very necessary and assign various units to review, adjust, and supplement it into the national seaport planning, the general planning of Ho Chi Minh City, and related planning projects.

Geographically, the proposed location for the Can Gio International Transshipment Port is near international maritime routes passing through the South China Sea. Currently, goods from countries in the region are mainly transshipped through Singapore or Malaysia.

The handling capacity of the three main transshipment centers in the region is currently about 70.86 million TEU (TEU equivalent to a 20-foot container).

Specifically, Singapore's international transshipment volume reaches 31.85 million TEU, Tanjung Pelepas achieves 10.67 million TEU, and Port Klang reaches 8.39 million TEU. Additionally, the newly operational Phase 1 design capacity of Tuas Port in Singapore is about 20 million TEU.

Thus, there is room for the development of new international transshipment ports in the region, with an estimated capacity of about 12.8 million TEU by 2030. This is forecasted to increase to 32.6 million TEU by 2040, and 52.3 million TEU by 2050.

These figures indicate a significant opportunity for new transshipment ports, including Can Gio, Cai Mep, and other ports in Southeast Asia. Therefore, any delay could result in missing these opportunities.

Besides the requirements of a strategic geographic location and favorable natural conditions, an important factor for development is the interest of major global shipping companies in participating, investing, and operating the port, as well as shifting cargo sources from various countries.

In reality, MSC (currently the largest shipping company in the world) is very interested, exploring, and eager to participate in investment cooperation at Can Gio International Transshipment Port. This company is actively coordinating with Vietnamese enterprises (Saigon Port Joint Stock Company) to study investment opportunities.

Most recently, during the second meeting of the Southeast Region Coordination Council on November 26, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh also took special time to discuss the project of building the Can Gio International Transshipment Port.

According to the Prime Minister, the planning direction for building the region's international transshipment port includes both Cai Mep and Can Gio ports, not just Cai Mep or Can Gio separately. These two ports will combine to form a major logistics center for the region and the country.

"When proposing a major, far-reaching policy with breakthrough characteristics that can turn the situation around, it's impossible to have complete consensus, and if we wait for complete consensus, we will never get it done' - the Prime Minister emphasized.