Vietnam needs VND398,706 billion ($16.03 billion) to invest in seaports and other marine infrastructure until 2030, says Le Tan Dat, an executive with Construction Consultation JSC for Maritime Building (CMB).
The figure comprises VND147,164 billion until 2025 and another VND251,542 billion ($10.12 billion) until 2030, Dat said at a seminar on draft planning for seaports, wharves, and inland container depots organized by the Ministry of Transport Tuesday.
Vietnam operates 296 seaports with a total length of 103 kilometers at present, 4.7 times higher than the number in 2000.
The country has established international gateway seaports. In the northern region, Hai Phong city's Lach Huyen port can receive container ships of up to 132,000 DWT, while Ba Ria-Vung Tau province's Cai Mep port in the southern region can host ships of up to 214,000 DWT.
Other key facilities specializing in petrochemicals, metallurgy, coal-fired thermal power and other industries can receive ships of up to 200,000 DWT, 150,000 DWT of liquid products, and 320,000 DWT of crude oil, according to Dat.
Deputy Transport Minister Nguyen Xuan Sang noted that seaports in Vietnam, with a capacity of handing 750 million tons of goods per year, now account for 90% of the volume of traded goods.
According to the Vietnam Maritime Administration (Vinamarine), seaports in the country handled 608.3 million tons of goods in the first 10 months of the year, up 3% year-on-year. This included 284.6 million tons of goods for domestic transport.
Sang said maritime channel infrastructure was commonly invested in by the central government, while businesses did it for seaport infrastructure. However, the trend has changed of late, with localities proactively allocating their local budget for maritime channel facilities.