The Viet Nam Marine Administration (Vinamarine) will develop a seven-pronged plan to create a marine-service system that meets international standards.

According to Vinamarine Director Nguyen Ngoc Hue, the administration plans to perfect current marine laws and implement uniform policies for the entire marine-service sector.

It will also improve the implementation of laws, regulations and policies related to the marine sector as well as enhance international cooperation and integration.

Investments will focus on development of marine infrastructure and improvement of the quality of information technology.

Organisational restructuring, human-resource development and administrative reforms are also important parts of the plan.

In addition to the seven-pronged plan, the administration will also ask the Ministry of Transport to allow them to carry out studies on the development of Van Phong International Transit Port and deepwater ports of Lach Huyen and Cai Mep-Thi Vai, and passage for heavyweight ships via Hau River.

A plan on seaport laws will also be realised soon so the domestic seaport system will be developed in line with Vietnamese and international rules.

According to figures from Vinaline, the national shipping line, total cargo via the company's seaport has achieved a year-on-year increase of 115 per cent this year.

Companies involved in providing of marine services have also achieved significant growth rates. They include the Viet Nam Shipping Agency Joint Stock Company, with VND260 billion (US$12.5 million) in turnover and VND13 billion ($625,000) in profits.

The Hai Phong Seaport had turnover of VND510 billion ($24.8 million) with VND 14 billion ($673,000) in profits, and the Da Nang Port has generated VND130 billion ($6.2 million) in turnover and VND8.7 billion ($422,300) in profits.

Shortcomings

Hue said that in 2010 total cargo via Viet Nam's seaport system climbed to 259 million tonnes, up by 29.5 per cent as compared with the Government's target of 200 million tonnes. Of that figure, 6.52 million tonnes were container commodities.

He said that the volume of cargo, particularly container commodities via the domestic marine system, had been increasing dramatically year after year.

This means that domestic seaports as well as marine services should be further developed to meet the market's increased demand, and also realise the Government's national target of having a strongly developed sea economy.

However, Viet Nam currently has no international transit ports, and has a shortage of both large modern ports and a proper system of wharves for heavyweight vessels.

Worse still, connections between ports and systems of roads and inland waterways are still inadequate.

The domestic marine service sector also lacks centres specialising in the distribution of cargo after it is unloaded.

Hue said authorities have not paid enough attention to marine safety and environmental protection.

Most water passages leading to domestic ports do not have the necessary depth, causing difficulties for heavyweight vessels to enter.

In addition, no seaports are equipped with container management software with international standards.

These shortcomings have made domestic seaports less competitive compared to other seaport systems in the region and the rest of the world.

VNS