More than 200 inland ports in HCMC will be shut down this year due to the expiration of their operating licenses, which will adversely affect inland waterway transport, according to the municipal Transport Department.

Cargo is loaded and unloaded at an inland port in the outlying district of Nha Be in HCMC

The department said it is going to cease issuing new licenses for inland port operators in line with a Transport Ministry circular.

Under Circular 50 that took effect in 2015, operators of inland ports cannot have their licenses renewed unless they have submitted technical design documents and feasibility reports and that such ports must be included in a master plan for developing inland ports.

However, many local operators which have long taken advantage of natural conditions to set up ports have not met such requirements.

Data of the department shows the licenses of 112 inland ports had expired as of last November. Besides, 200 other ports will suffer the same fate later this year.

As their licenses expire, they must freeze their services, otherwise they would be subject to heavy fines.

Around 30 million tons of goods are transported to southern provinces via local inland ports. Therefore, their shutdowns will have enormous impacts on waterway transport in the city.

The department has twice petitioned the municipal government to issue one-year licenses for inland port operators while drawing up a master plan for developing local inland ports and waterways until 2030.

SGT