CAI MEP-THI VAI PORT COMPLEX INEFFICIENT

Enterprises and experts pointed out this problem at a seminar held on Wednesday by the ministries of transport, and planning-investment, and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to evaluate the performance of the Cai Mep-Thi Vai port complex.

It is costly to transport goods from HCMC or Binh Duong to Cai Mep-Thi Vai as the port complex does not have yards for empty containers, forcing enterprises to bring their goods to Cat Lai Port in HCMC, said Nguyen Thanh Tam, deputy director of HCMC-based company InterLog.

In addition, the time for transporting goods to other Asian countries from Cai Mep-Thi Vai is over ten days compared to only three days from Cat Lai Port in HCMC, leading enterprises to shun Cai Mep-Thi Vai, he said.

Le Duy Hiep, chairman of the Vietnam Logistics Business Association (VLA), said currently enterprises have to transport their goods by barge to avoid traffic jams on the road, thus spelling trouble for exporters.

What should be done now is to build roads and upgrade inland waterways linking Cai Mep-Thi Vai and nearby localities.

Hiep said another point that makes Cai Mep-Thi Vai unattractive is the lack of space for empty containers while there are nearly 40 depots for empty containers around ports in HCMC and Binh Duong.

It costs up to VND4.3 million (around US$192) to transport goods on a 40-kilometer section from Dong Nai’s Nhon Trach District to Cai Mep-Thi Vai but only around VND3.3 million to bring goods through a section of 80 kilometers from Nhon Trach to Cat Lai, he gave figures to prove his point.

According to the Vietnam Marine Administration, services at Cai Mep-Thi Vai have not been fully developed and along with its underdeveloped infrastructure, the port complex has been unattractive to transport firms.

As calculated, a port with a 600-meter pier should have an annual capacity of one million TEUs to boost the development of other services but the total capacity of six to seven piers at Cai Mep-Thi Vai is only 1.3 million TEUs per year compared to an annual designed capacity of eight million TEUs.

Cai Mep-Thi Vai port complex was commissioned in late January 2013 after four years of construction. The project was financed by Japan’s official development assistance (ODA) loans and Vietnam’s reciprocal capital.

Deputy Minister of Transport Nguyen Van Cong said the port complex can accommodate vessels of 160,000 DWT.

Work on roads linking the port with other localities has started, such as Ben Luc-Long Thanh and Bien Hoa-Vung Tau expressways, and when they are in place, the time for goods transport from the Mekong Delta to the port complex would be shortened.

Besides, the transport ministry is working on a project to dredge the Dong Tranh River to facilitate the inland waterway transport between HCMC and Cai Mep-Thi Vai.

In the future, if the project receives more funds from Japan or other foreign investors, the authorities will build Phuoc An Bridge.

The total volume of goods imported or exported through ports nationwide reached 427 million tons last year, up 14.5% year-on-year.

Source: The Saigon Times