HCM City (VNS/VNA) - All ports along the Saigon River will berelocated by the end of the year to reduce pressure on transport in HCM City,according to a report from the Transport Ministry submitted to the Government.

The report reviews the results of a plan to relocate GroupNo 5 ports and ports in the CaiMep – Thi Vai region.

Group 5 ports include ports in the southeastern region(HCM City and the provinces of DongNai, Ba Ria –Vung Tau, BinhDuong) and ports on the Soai Rap River in Long An Province.

Since 2013, HCM City and the provinces of Dong Nai and Ba Ria – Vung Tau have notlicensed the construction of new ports and has not accepted investment for portexpansion

In addition, efforts have been taken to relocate ports inHCM City.

Nguyen Xuan Sang, General Director of the Vietnam Maritime Department, said for the Port Group No 5, the Ministry ofTransport and several agencies have made efforts to relocate the Ba SonShipyard and ports along the Saigon River.

Last year, the TanCang - Saigon Port in HCM City’s Binh Thanh District wasmoved to Cat Lai in HCM City’s District 9.

The Saigon Port JSC has completed construction of major works of the Saigon – Hiep Phuoc Port project,so that it can handle vessels and cargo from Nha Rong – Khanh Hoi Port in District 1.

Port operations have been transferred to Saigon – Hiep Phuoc Port in Hiep Phuoc Industrial Parkin Nha Be District, and work on the relocation of the port is scheduled to be completedwithin the second quarter of this year, according to Sang.

Nguyen Van Cong, Deputy Minister of Transport, said the most difficult work of the relocation ofports along the Saigon River has been completed.

The relocation of these ports from inner districts helpsdistribute sources of cargo, and reduces congestion through traffic flow andbetter relocates port groups in HCM City, said Cong.

In addition to the relocation of ports in inner districts,the Transport Ministry has sped up administrative reform and the use of 4.0technology to create favourable conditions for ports in Group No 5.

The Vietnam Maritime Department has also set up a representative office for Vung Tau Port Authorityat Cai Mep InternationalTerminal (CMIT) to facilitate one-door procedures.

Electronic data about Vietnamese seagoing vessels and crewis collected.

In an effort to simplify business conditions and removebarriers in business by 2020, the department has cooperated with the CustomsBureau to introduce five procedures for ships that enter ports on the national“one-door” website.

The department has also provided online public services onthis website for ships entering, exiting and transiting at nine ports and otherports of Group No 5, said Sang.

As for the domestic routes, the department has maintainedpublic online services with 25 port authorities across the country.

The administrative reforms have brought about significantchanges, reducing time for vessels’ entry and exit to and from ports, creatingfavourable conditions for carriers, said Cong.

However, port inspection has not been carried out at the Cai Mep – Thi Vai region,and a number of inspection works were brought to offices in inner HCM Citydistricts, causing a waste of time and money to carriers and port authorities.

The Maritime Department plans to further apply 4.0technology to further simplify procedures and provide support to enterprises.-VNS/VNA