The multi-million dollar port 

The Soai Rap passage has suffered from sedimentation and the water depth cannot reach - 9.5 meters to receive large vessels.

Doan Hong Tam, deputy general director on July 24, confirmed that as the port has needed container goods for one year, SCPT is facing big difficulties. 

In the entire 2017, the port only received small vessels with the cargo capacity of 34,000 cars, while the number of cars arrived in the first six months of 2018 was equal to 20 percent of the same period last year.

SPCT is developed by the joint venture between Dubai Ports World (DP World) and Tan Thuan Industry Development capitalized at $410 million ($250 million in the first phase). It became operational in 2010 with the capacity of 1.5 million TEU per annum.

When programming the development of ports in Hiep Phuoc area, HCMC and ministries had to spend VND300-400 billion to dredge the Soai Rap passage every year to ensure the water depth of – 9.5 meters for large vessels to dock at the Hiep Phuoc port area.

“Because of the passage sedimentation, we cannot receive container goods, but can only receive import cars, carried in small-tonnage vessels,” Tam said.

Besides SPCT, the Hiep Phuoc area also accommodates other ports, namely Tan Cang Hiep Phuoc, Saigon-Hiep Phuoc and specialized ports for the Hiep Phuoc Industrial Zone.

The situation became serious when NYK’s Castor Leader, which was carrying cars, was caught in a shoal for six hours on the way to SPCT.

Since March 2018, the cargo vessel going in/out of the ports in Hiep Phuoc area with the draft of over 7.5 meters have to shift to the Saigon-Vung Tau passage (Long Tau River) which is narrow.

Also according to SPCT, shipping lines earlier this year requested SPCT to provide information about the current situation and the plan to dredge Soai Rap passage. 

However, SPCT cannot give an answer because it is the state’s responsibility to dredge passages, not port owners.

The operation of SPCT depends on the maintenance and dredging of Soai Rap, work which depends on planning by state agencies.

Sources said that the annual passage dredging is carried out with money from the state budget. To speed up the work, HCMC local authorities proposed to advance VND300 billion from the local budget in previous years and VND400 billion this year to carry out the dredging soon so as to save the ports in Hiep Phuoc area.

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