Transport sector puts eye on domestic waterways

VGP – To bring into full play advantages of domestic waterway transport in the context of national socio-economic development and international integration, the Ministry of Transport will focus on three goals in its overall planning by 2020, namely transportation, infrastructure, and shipbuilding.

August 13, 2008 4:38 PM GMT+7

Việt Nam tries to build a transport fleet powerful enough to serve 12 million tons of cargo and 1 million passengers by 2020.

The waterway transport strives to reach 6.73–7.02% increase per year and 6.03-8.32% growth in terms of cargo and passengers respectively.

Given infrastructure, the sector plans to lengthen domestic waterway routes, renew the signal system, canalize river segments flowing through urban areas, and modernize some main seaports in crucial economic areas.

Besides, shipbuilding facilities will be founded in the Red River Delta and the Mekong Delta in order to build and repair all means of waterborne transport for domestic services.

To achieve these goals, the State will create favorable conditions for all organizations and individuals at home and abroad to invest in sea traffic and seaports under BOT contracts or joint-ventures.

Particularly, the State encourages all economic sectors to get involved in transport business because State-owned will hold only around 10-15% of market share.

By Hương Dung