In the field trip to the Can Gio international container transshipment port, the Prime Minister requested to complete the project dossier in July

By tuoitre.vn - 18/07/2023

On the afternoon of July 18, Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính and the delegation surveyed the Cần Giờ international transshipment port (Cần Giờ port, Ho Chi Minh City).

At 2:27 PM, the delegation led by the Prime Minister departed from Bạch Đằng Wharf, traveling to Phú Lợi Island (the site of the Cần Giờ international transshipment port) by boat.

The delegation also included the Party Secretary, the Chairman of the People's Committee of Ho Chi Minh City, and leaders of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, the Ministry of Construction, the Government Office, and the Ministry of Information and Communications.

On the more than 60km river route from the center of Ho Chi Minh City to the Cần Giờ sea gate, the government and city leaders had the opportunity to further survey the potential and development plans of the Saigon River.

On the boat, Mr. Phạm Anh Tuấn - General Director of Portcoast (the consulting unit) - introduced the delegation to the area where the project would be implemented, clarifying the natural geographical advantages, the gateway for global trade, and its contribution to the economic development of the southern key economic region.

Mr. Tuấn stated that not only does the project have geographical advantages, but MSC - the world's largest shipping company - also desires to invest in building the port and is committed to directing cargo flows here.

The Cần Giờ international transshipment port is an international gateway for trade

From the Cần Giờ international transshipment port, the advantages of sea transport from Asia to Europe and America can be exploited.

The project will help develop the maritime economy for the southern key economic region and the entire country. It will also help Ho Chi Minh City maintain its position as the regional logistics center, rising to the top in maritime transport.

According to the proposal, the port, when formed, will attract significant investment capital from businesses. It will also create jobs for approximately 6,000 - 8,000 employees at the port and tens of thousands of workers in supporting logistics services and logistics centers...

The complete investment phase is expected to directly contribute to the budget through taxes and fees estimated at 34,000 - 40,000 billion VND per year.

The total investment for the project is estimated to be nearly 5.4 billion USD.

Regarding the funding structure, the Cần Giờ international transshipment port, auxiliary works, and logistics service centers will be invested by enterprises (investors).

The infrastructure for transportation and technical connections to the port will be invested with public funds, public-private partnerships (PPP), or other legal sources. The port will be built with the most modern technology available today, with all equipment running on electricity to minimize environmental pollution.

Regarding the timeline, the preparation work for the international transshipment port will be carried out from 2023 - 2024. From 2024 - 2026, construction will be carried out, and the port will be put into operation from 2027.

The proposed investment scale for the port includes the construction to accommodate mother ships with a tonnage of up to 250,000 DWT, feeder ships with a tonnage of 10,000 - 65,000 DWT, and barges with a tonnage of up to 8,000 T. The total length of the main berth and barge berth is 6.8km and 1.9km, respectively.

After 2030, the city will build a road connecting the port construction site to Rừng Sác road.

An elevated road along Rừng Sác road, from the intersection of Rừng Sác road and the Bến Lức - Long Thành expressway in Bình Khánh commune to the intersection of the road connecting the port in Long Hòa commune, will be constructed.

The city will study and build a metro line along Rừng Sác road connecting the Cần Giờ coastal urban area with metro line 4 in Nhà Bè district.

The Prime Minister requested Ho Chi Minh City and relevant ministries to complete the Cần Giờ port dossier in July

After hearing the consultant's introduction about the project, the Prime Minister asked the consultant to elaborate on the transportation connection with the port.

Explaining this issue, Mr. Tuấn said that in the initial phase, the project would use waterway transportation, not road transportation. In the following years, the city will study and build connecting transportation infrastructure.

The priority option is to build an elevated road to connect to the transportation hub and the Bến Lức - Long Thành expressway.

The construction of the elevated road will minimize environmental impact.

Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Chairman Phan Văn Mãi said the initial phase would use waterway transportation, and the later phase would study road connections.

The road connection will be carefully studied and evaluated by the city to ensure environmental factors are met.

Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính stated that the Cần Giờ port and the Cái Mép Thị Vải port are one entity. The Cần Giờ port will attract international transshipment goods, competing with major ports in the region such as Singapore, Malaysia, and other international ports, rather than competing with Cái Mép-Thị Vải.

The project opens up significant development opportunities, so the project evaluation and research must be urgently carried out.

The Prime Minister requested relevant ministries to coordinate with the city and agencies to take the next steps and complete the project dossier in July. The evaluation must be thorough and transparent to submit the dossier to investors.

The Prime Minister suggested carefully studying three issues: transportation infrastructure, technical infrastructure, and social infrastructure to update the planning and form the basis for implementation.

Talking to Saigon Port General Director Nguyễn Lê Chơn Tâm, Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính requested that in July, an invitation be extended to the shipping company MSC to come to Vietnam to finalize the plans for the Cần Giờ mega-port.

DUC PHU