Vietnam’s rivers and coastal routes join with these in neighbouring nations, opening up alternatives for cross-border waterway transport cooperation and socio-economic advantages for the nations. Over the previous time, Vietnam has actively promoted worldwide cooperation in inland waterway transport.
- Efficient cooperation with Cambodia
In accordance with the Vietnam Inland Waterway Administration, in 2009, Vietnam and Cambodia signed the Settlement on Waterway Transport, which got here into power in 2011, to ascertain a authorized framework for the efficient implementation of freedom of navigation within the Mekong River system for the sustainable growth of the river basin, creating beneficial situations for transit and cross-border navigation actions on regulated waterways.
Ta Van Thanh, deputy head of the Transport Division beneath the administration, mentioned that because the settlement took impact in 2021, the 2 nations have accomplished procedures for practically 78,000 vessels and greater than 406,000 crew members. This additionally consists of the passage of practically 20 million tonnes of products and practically 1.3 million passengers for utilizing the cross-border waterway routes, contributing to socio-economic growth and friendship between the 2 nations.
Cargo quantity by the routes is growing, particularly the container cargo will increase by 20% yearly on common. In 2021, practically 350,000 TEUs and greater than 800,000 tonnes of liquid and bulk cargo had been transported on the routes. By 2022, the quantity reached about 400,000 TEUs and practically 1 million tonnes of liquid and bulk cargo. Within the first two months of 2023, the quantity of products transported by this route reached over 150,000 tonnes.
Vietnamese transport and loading enterprises earn about 60 million USD yearly in revenue, not to mention their impression on creating jobs.
In accordance with the administration, waterway routes between Vietnam and Cambodia not solely assist improve commerce and cooperation between the 2 nations but additionally serve companies and develop the 2 economies.
Due to this fact, over time, the authority has at all times actively coordinated with related businesses and items to take away difficulties and create beneficial situations for navigation actions between the 2 nations.
The administration proposed the Ministry of Finance problem a round dated August 27, 2021, that enables waterway vessels to pay waterway charges which can be 10-11 occasions decrease than the worldwide transport toll.
It additionally proposed Ho Chi Minh Metropolis on charges for utilizing works, infrastructure, service works, and public utilities within the seaport border gate space within the metropolis.
Town issued a decision on this problem, beneath which charges are exempted from August 1, 2022, for items which can be briefly imported for re-export, items which can be briefly exported for re-import, items saved in bonded warehouses, items in transit, exported items/imported items which can be transported into and out of the port by the vessels which can be eligible to make use of the waterway routes beneath the Vietnam-Cambodia settlement.
In accordance with financial specialists, these rules have created nice benefits for waterway transport enterprises, lowering logistics prices normally, and attracting items on the route.
Particularly, thus far, on this transport route, there have been about 100 transportation enterprises, organisations, and people providing companies on the routes together with SNP, Gemadept, GLS, and Tan Cang Cypress.
Nevertheless, for sustainable growth of the waterway routes, financial specialists mentioned that authorities ought to quickly implement options together with reviewing rules on inspection and supervision of products in transit, simplifying administrative procedures, and saving time and logistics prices.
*Cooperation potential with Laos
In the course of the official go to to Laos earlier this 12 months, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Lao Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone witnessed the signing ceremony of 10 cooperation paperwork together with a complete cooperation settlement within the subject of waterway transport between Vietnam’s Ministry of Transport and the Laos’s Ministry of Public Works and Transport.
Within the Laos’s waterway transport system, the Mekong River is the primary waterway with greater than 1,800 km working by the territory together with practically 1,000 km utilised for transport actions, 29 ports, greater than 500 cargo vessels, and greater than 4,000 passenger ones.
Some areas have nice potential to attach logistics with Vietnam such because the port space of Vientiane which is related to Vung Ang port of Vietnam by way of the Laos – Vietnam railway. This can be a proposed railway mission to additional enhance Laos’s ambitions to change into a regional logistics hub. The port of Vung Ang, positioned in Vietnam’s Ha Tinh province that borders the Bolikhamsai and Khammouane provinces of Laos, will give the land-locked nation an essential entry to the East Sea in addition to main markets of the Republic of Korea, Japan, and others.
Laos has nice potential for waterway transport, and the chance to develop connectivity and cooperation with Vietnam. Nevertheless, human assets, infrastructure, and gear are nonetheless restricted. Due to this fact, based on the Vietnam Inland Waterway Administration, the recently-signed complete cooperation settlement will assist help Laos from 2022 to 2027 in waterway transport actions.
The implementation of this settlement not solely helps Laos but additionally promotes cross-border transport and logistics between the 2 nations.
In 2023 and the years that observe, the Vietnam Inland Waterway Administration will proceed to successfully implement worldwide cooperation within the waterways sector specific these with Laos and Cambodia, based on the consultant from the administration./.
