Instruction on formulating the detailed Planning for groups of seaports in Vietnam

Instruction on formulating the detailed Planning for groups of seaports in Vietnam​(Image from the Internet)

Instruction on formulating the detailed Planning for groups of seaports in Vietnam

On August 28, 2024, Deputy Prime Minister of the Government of Vietnam Tran Hong Ha chaired a meeting on the Detailed Port Group Planning, including ports, wharves, buoys, water areas, in the period of 2021 - 2030, with a vision to 2050 (hereinafter referred to as the Detailed Port Group Planning).

The Detailed Port Group Planning is a specialized technical planning according to the Planning Law, specifying the overall development plan of Vietnam's port system for the period of 2021 - 2030, with a vision to 2050. To ensure the quality and adequacy for consideration and approval, according to Notice 406/TB-VPCP dated September 05, 2024, the Deputy Prime Minister requested:

- Assign the Ministry of Transport and the Office of the Government of Vietnam to thoroughly review the process, procedures, and authority (the process of developing, appraising, and approving the Detailed Port Group Planning) to ensure compliance with the laws on planning, maritime, transportation, and related regulations.

- The Ministry of Transport, the planning development agency, and consulting units are fully responsible for the accuracy of the information and data of the Detailed Port Group Planning; responsible for forecast results and consistency between the Detailed Port Group Planning and related plans (National Master Plan for the period of 2021 - 2030, with a vision to 2050; Overall Development Plan of Vietnam’s Port System for the period of 2021 - 2030, with a vision to 2050, National sectoral plans, Regional plans, and Provincial plans...), adhering to the principle that lower-level planning must comply with higher-level planning.

- The content of the Detailed Port Group Planning must ensure principles and viewpoints of synchronized and unified planning based on scientific criteria, considering reasonable "dynamic" and "open" planning, anticipating solutions to planning issues when new factors emerge. The Ministry of Transport, the planning development agency, must regularly monitor and evaluate, and promptly report to the competent authority when unexpected, unpredictable conditions arise;

- Newly added ports and port areas must be considered and evaluated based on objectives, vision, and overall efficiency to achieve a "win-win" situation; assessing the relationship and impact of new ports on altering or affecting large, strategic projects. Particularly, group No. 4 related to Cai Mep Ha Port, Cai Mep Thuong Port in Cai Mep - Thi Vai area, and Can Gio International Transshipment Port must be thoroughly researched, evaluated, and carefully calculated.

- Although it is detailed planning, it should not be "rigid," and must ensure comprehensiveness and visionary as a premise for specific implementation in the planning of land and water areas of the port; the planning mindset must create good infrastructure investment projects to attract potential investors (shipping companies, enterprises).

- Explore some mechanisms and policies for port infrastructure development and effective implementation of the plan, specifically considering state investment in some critical, necessary ports for management; clearly delineate the responsibilities between the state and investors in investing in port infrastructure and port operation infrastructure.

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