Ba Ria- Vung Tau: Creating resources for development of the port system

BR-VT has recently had many attempts to reform administrative policies in fields of maritime, trading and import-export, saving much time and expenses for customers and liners. Besides, the province has set priority on creating resources for development of the port system.

REFORMMING ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES

There have been efforts in administrative reform to administrative policies in the fields of trading and import-export, among which is the application of e-customs at seaport and airport customs. At places where e-customs has been applied, the clearance time for green line is from 3-5 minutes, and for yellow line is from 10 to 20 minutes. Enterprises are able to carry out customs declaration at anywhere where there is a computer connecting to the Internet. E-customs allows immediate clearance for goods in exemption from customs dossiers examination in text and actual goods supervision.

From the beginning of 2014, BR-VT Customs Department will deploy an automatic customs clearance and customs intelligence system in VNACCS/VCIS project (Vietnamese Nippon Automatic Customs Clearance System/ Vietnamese Customs Intelligence System) sponsored by the Japanese Government. Besides, the Customs sector is deploying the projects Nation Single Window and ASEAN single window. These will surely benefit import-export business community.

In the second half of June 2013, Maritime Administration of Vung Tau put in operation an office carrying out single window procedure for foreign vessels in/ out ports in Cai Mep-Thi Vai area. The representative office is located it Cai Mep International Terminal (CMIT) and enterprises operating in maritime in the area are able to carry out procedures right at the office in CMIT.

According to shipping agents and liners, the establishment of the Representative Office in Cai Mep-Thi Vai has saved much time and expense. Maritime licenses can be received after 30 minutes. In the past, they had to spend 2-3 hours traveling over 100km (between HCMC and Vung Tau City) for carrying out procedures for vessels coming in/ out of ports. And distance and time would double if there was something wrong. Besides, this also saves fuel expense of dozens of thousand dollars thanks to the fact that vessels can leave ports early and do not have to be hurry to catch up with their schedule.

SUGGESTING TROUBLESHOOTING POLICIES FOR PORTS

To bring ports out of difficult current situation, the provincial people committee suggested the Government not to issue licenses to build new container terminals in the whole Seaport Group V till the end of 2015 and to focus on exploiting existing newly-built containers terminals as Cai Mep-Thi Vai, SSIT, CMIT, TCIT, SP-PSA, SITV… Besides, there should be adjustment to avoid the extremely low amount of cargo through Cai Mep-Thi Vai causing losses to the port operators and placing the port in danger of closing.

The provincial People’s Committee also suggested the Government and the Ministry of Transport to decrease maritime fees to attract liners with vessels of above 100,000 tons. And it is urgent to apply specific mechanism of fixed-term floor price for container loading- unloading service in the port area of Cai Mep- Thi Vai, not letting investors keep operating below the cost.

To facilitate cargo consolidation and transport for the port system of Cai Mep-Thi Vai, BR-VT suggested the Government and the Ministry of Transport to start projects of Phuoc An Bridge, the express way and the high-speed railway of Bien Hoa, Vung Tau, road section no.6 of the ring road IV connecting BR-VT to HCMC, Dong Nai and provinces in the region.

To make the service system perfect, BR-VT set up and approved the project of developing logistics services serving the port system. The province reserved 800ha for the logistics area with various supporting services. And “the province asked the Government to modify the logistics area of BR-VT to the national logistics planning for more priority,” said Mr. Luong Anh Tuan, Deputy Director of the provincial Department of Transport.

In the working section with the Ministry of Transport’s task force at the beginning of August this year, Mr. Ho Van Nien, Deputy Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee also suggested to reduce fees of pilotage, loading and maritime guarantee for they are higher than those of other ports’ in the region, which will reduce competition abilities.