Increase competitiveness for Quang Ninh seaports

Quang Ninh is one of 28 coastal provinces and cities in the country, with 9/13 districts, towns and cities of the province having the sea. The coastline in Quang Ninh is 250km long, with many deep water and wind-tight areas, favorable for the construction and development of a seaport system, especially deep-water ports that can receive large tonnage ships, forming becoming a seaport economic center, seaport services, and large-scale logistics linking the process of trading goods, commerce, and services between Vietnam and the world. To promote the potential and advantages, the province has recently paid attention and implemented solutions to improve the quality of seaport services and prioritized the development of ports and wharves associated with post-port logistics services.

 Production activities at B12 Petroleum Port (Ha Long City).

Synchronously complete seaport infrastructure

Clearly identifying the potential and advantages brought to the province from the seaport system and seaport services in the economic structure, on April 23, 2019, the Provincial Party Committee issued Resolution No. 15-NQ/ TU on "Development of seaports and seaport services in the province to 2025, orientation to 2030". According to many economic experts, the Resolution has created a sustainable, targeted, specific development direction for the seaport, service, and logistics sectors of Quang Ninh in the context of international economic integration, serving as a blow to Quang Ninh. leverage and motivation for all levels, sectors and the business community to join hands in planning development strategies.

The resolution clearly defines the goal that by 2025, total seaport service revenue of Quang Ninh will reach 25,000 billion VND, an average growth of 17.5%/year, contributing about 1.2%-1.5% in the province's GRDP; The output of goods through the port reaches about 114.5-122.5 million tons, the sea transport passenger traffic reaches 250,000-300,000 passengers.

From the identified orientations and goals, in the past 4 years, Quang Ninh province has had many meetings with the Ministry of Transport to propose and add locations with potential and advantages of the province to the list of ports belonging to the following provinces: Vietnam seaport and approved by the Ministry of Transport. According to Decision No. 508/QD-BGTVT dated April 2, 2021 of the Ministry of Transport, there are 13 ports in Quang Ninh province. Up to now, all of these ports have been updated and added to the master plan for developing Vietnam's seaport system for the period 2021-2030, with a vision to 2050 approved by the Prime Minister in Decision No. No. 1579/QD-TTg dated September 22, 2021 and updated to Quang Ninh Provincial Planning for the period 2021-2030, vision to 2050 approved by the Prime Minister in Decision No. 80/QD-TTg dated November 11 February 2023.

Prominent among them are 5 ports (Mui Chua, Van Don, Van Hoa, Van Ninh, Van Gia and Co To island district port), 4 wharf areas (Cai Lan; Cam Pha; Yen Hung; Hai Ha) , Mong Cai ICD dry port and many floating wharves, transshipment anchorages, anchorage areas, and storm shelters in Ha Long City, Cam Pha, Mong Cai, Hai Ha, Co To...

From the perspective of socializing investment resources in ports, Quang Ninh province has mobilized many investors to invest in construction and development of post-port services. Hon Gai international passenger port, Tuan Chau international passenger port, Ao Tien international high-class port... are typical among them. However, these are only passenger ports. Currently, Quang Ninh province is promoting and calling for investors to participate in research on the Con Ong - Hon Net port project (Cam Pha City) and 8 other projects. seaport services, production and processing, and manufacturing in the Quang Yen coastal economic zone, with a total area that can be researched to arrange post-port logistics and logistics areas of nearly 7,000 hectares.

Currently in the Quang Yen coastal economic zone, there are 4 investor projects being implemented. Prominent among them are 2 ports belonging to the seaport and industrial park complex development project invested by Bac Tien Phong Industrial Park Joint Stock Company and the investment and business project for industrial park infrastructure, general ports and services. Bach Dang warehouse service is invested by Hai Phong Automobile Repair Company Limited. At the seaport complex invested by Bac Tien Phong Industrial Park Joint Stock Company, the seaport item has a land area of nearly 170 hectares, a total port length of 2,500m, capable of receiving ships up to 50,000DWT. Currently, this project is in the process of site clearance and completing necessary investment procedures to carry out construction.

Along with planning investment in seaports, Quang Ninh province has mobilized resources from the state budget and society to synchronously invest in connecting transport infrastructure, linking the development of economic and trade centers. trade closer to seaports. In addition to the completed Hai Phong - Ha Long - Van Don - Mong Cai expressway project, connecting seaport areas closer together, currently, Quang Ninh province is dedicating resources to invest in the route. The riverside connects a series of seaports in Quang Yen coastal economic zone with development centers in the province and neighboring provinces and cities; Invest in opening intersections on the Ha Long - Hai Phong highway with industrial parks and seaports in Quang Yen; Invest in traffic routes connecting Van Ninh port with Van Don - Mong Cai expressway.

Mr. Hoang Quang Hai, Director of the Provincial Department of Transport, said: Investing in connecting transport routes will help promote strong development of seaports, making it more convenient to transport goods from deep inland to the mainland. ports and vice versa, contributing to reducing logistics costs.

Improve post-port logistics services

At the Logistics Services Development Conference of Quang Ninh province on March 4, 2023, many experts commented: Quang Ninh has the potential, strengths and even economic conditions to develop seaports and seaport services. However, to fully exploit those potentials, it is necessary to have a long-term, methodical strategy with preferential mechanisms and policies to attract investors, especially for investors working in service industries. post-port services, such as logistics, warehousing, transportation, loading and unloading...

According to Dr. Le Quang Trung, Deputy General Director of Vietnam Maritime Corporation: Quang Ninh needs to plan to continue improving the quality of seaport services and prioritize the development of ports and wharves associated with the following logistics services. port. Focus on developing large enough logistics areas at seaports with large-scale yard and warehouse systems to improve the quality of service, warehouse rotation, circulation and logistics activities. It is necessary to have logistics units strong enough in terms of infrastructure potential (warehouses, transportation equipment, technology), and financial potential to be able to carry out a chain of post-port logistics services.

In fact, in recent years, Quang Ninh province has handled administrative procedures well; support, remove difficulties, and accompany businesses operating in the seaport field. From there, all post-port logistics services take place smoothly and safely, with seamless connections between businesses in the goods transportation and storage chain. As for the Customs Industry, currently 6/6 customs branches have completed connection to the National Single Window (NSW) system, including 3 seaport border gate customs branches; Deploying a system to monitor goods entering and leaving seaports and warehouses on the automatic customs monitoring system at Cai Lan port and Quang Ninh port, ensuring cohesion between professional stages in monitoring goods transportation chemicals..., contributing to reducing travel time to complete procedures for import-export enterprises, overcoming congestion in ports, warehouses and yards.

Through the survey, there are currently 59 enterprises headquartered in the province participating in seaport activities and seaport services. Thanks to innovative solutions and improved management capacity, up to now the operating capacity of these businesses has basically met the requirements set forth in the current context, retaining a number of shipping lines and shipping lines. , client. Regarding cargo loading and unloading services, there are currently 19 businesses participating in loading and unloading of goods from ships. Every year, these businesses allocate resources to invest in more equipment and modern cargo handling technology (floating cranes, forklifts), approaching the cargo loading and unloading system in the region, for example: Bach Dang VTB Company Limited, Huy Manh Company Limited, Quang Ninh Transport and Loading Joint Stock Company. Therefore, the capacity of loading and unloading goods from ships of Quang Ninh enterprises has reached 20,000 tons/day, capable of releasing goods on ships with a tonnage of up to 120,000 DWT.

With the results achieved in improving the quality of post-port logistics services, from 2019 to now, the total output of goods through Quang Ninh's seaports has reached 581 million tons, an average of 116.2 million tons/year. year, each year is higher than the previous year. If in 2019 the output of goods through the new port reached 99 million tons, by the end of 2022 it will reach 131 million tons. The total exploitation capacity of Quang Ninh's seaport system reaches about 170 million tons/year, mainly goods output through the Cai Lan wharf system and Cam Pha wharf area. Also during this period, the total passenger traffic by sea reached 130,242 passengers; The total turnover of export and import goods through the seaport sector reached over 34 billion USD, an average of 8.1 billion USD per year; Total state budget revenue through the seaport area averages 10,000 billion VND/year.

From the identified goals of the seaport economy, it is known that Quang Ninh province is continuing to mobilize resources, promote investment in construction, development, and completion of seaport infrastructure systems and services. seaport services in the area, focusing on Con Ong - Hon Net port area, Hai Ha seaport, Nam Tien Phong port, and passenger ports in Van Don. Along with that, the province will have solutions to improve management capacity and maximize the capacity of existing ports, especially in the Cam Pha area; Accelerate investment progress in Van Ninh general port and expanded Van Gia port.

Comrade Cao Tuong Huy, Acting Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, at the logistics service development conference in Quang Ninh province (March 4, 2023), said: The province will research and promulgate mechanisms and policies strong enough to attract , calling on financial corporations and experienced and reputable businesses to synchronously invest in seaport systems, post-port logistics services, logistics, and business of many types of services according to international standards, such as: maritime agency services, warehousing services, container handling, transshipment and loading and unloading of goods, ship supply..., avoiding small, scattered investments that do not create competitive scale and Service quality meets standards to meet the province's development needs.

Manh Truong