With the international port of Long An formed, Dong Tam Group proposed to expand a network of “container buses” to connect many ports in the Mekong Delta to increase the value of waterways, contributing to reducing current logistics costs.

• Establishment of logistics zones to develop Mekong Delta seaports

The experts’ discussion presented at the seminar “Development of seaports and logistics in the Mekong Delta” on March 18 showed that although the Mekong Delta has many advantages and great potentials, with a total waterway length of more than 14,800 km, the logistics system is not yet able to serve the goods in the region.

Logistics enterprises operating in the Mekong Delta are only limited to the delivery of transport, warehouse rental, customs procedures, inland transportation, retail collection but cannot integrate, organize and link activities in the logistics chain. Therefore, the development of seaports should be further developed to enhance the logistics system of the Mekong Delta, contributing to the development of the whole region.

Mr. Nguyen Chi Hung – head of the investment planning department of Vietnam Maritime Administration – said that the strength to develop the Mekong Delta seaport is the demand for goods through large, especially agricultural products, aquaculture, coal, ore for thermal power projects. In addition, many scenic spots create the potential of sea and island tourism, with advantages in terms of water transport connection and abundant labor resources.

However, the weakness is that the seaport is located deep in the river, the maritime flow is limited, receiving small ships, while the fleet trend is increasing in size, the seaport system is dispersed. The roadblocking system, logistics center, industrial park are not complete. The transport capacity of the connected transport network is not high, quality human resources are still lacking…

According to Nguyen Duy Minh – general secretary of the Association of Logistics Service Enterprises, 200 years ago, the Nguyen had a “regional logistics plan” and proposed that a standard container warehouse should be set up in the shipping system for the Mekong Delta area to have an empty container gathering site, thereby encouraging water transport.

• “Bus container” waterways will reduce many logistics costs

At the conference, Vo Quoc Thang – chairman of the board of Dong Tam Group – introduced the potential of Long An international port and introduced the “bus container” network that Mr Thang is planning to implement.

“From Long An international port, we will have barges, trains in close connection with other ports from My Tho, Ben Tre, Tra Vinh, Vinh Long, Cao Lanh, Hong Ngu, Long Xuyen to Ngã7 port… The general model is that all ports receive goods and link together, customers everywhere can send goods in the ports to transfer to a focal point.

The ports are linked to each fixed daily transportation such as bus model, then it will maximize the efficiency of the ports in the region”, Mr.Thang presented and said that currently Long An international port is also developing cold storage system and is appreciated by many customers.

According to Mr.Thang, the development of the cold storage system in the port will now be the premise to link the “bus container” network. This model is of interest to many attendees, or, as Mr.Tran Do Liem – president of the Vietnam Inland Water Transport Association, “is fully realizable if container fleets are further developed”.

Source: Son Lam