The Ministry of Transport has officially issued Circular No. 54 on pilotage rates, services of using bridges, wharves, mooring buoys, container handling services and tugboat services at Vietnamese seaports. This price increase is necessary and will ensure the efficiency of investment, the return of capital of ports.
Port operators benefit?
According to the Circular No. 54, the service charge bracket for loading and unloading containers for import, export, temporary import for re-export in Region 1 (not applicable to Lach Huyen port) is increased by 10% With Decision No. 3863 of the Ministry of Transport, from 30 USD / 20 feet container, 45 USD / container 40 feet to 33 USD / container 20 feet, 50 USD / container 40 feet (for barge service) to the port yard and vice versa). As for loading and unloading services from barges to barges, cars and wagons at the wharf, and vice versa, the adjusted rates will increase by 50%, from $ 18/20 feet to $ 27 / container 40 feet to 26 USD / container 20 feet, 40 USD / container 40 feet.
At the same time, the service charge for loading and unloading containers for import, export, temporary import and re-export in Lach Huyen is adjusted up 10% according to the roadmap up to 2021, from 46 USD / container 20 feet, 68 USD / container 40 feet to $ 52/20 feet container, $ 77 / container 40 feet.
“With the new increase, seaports in Hai Phong are expected to earn at least VND280 billion in 2019, contributing more to the State more than VND60 billion in corporate income tax.”
Mr. Trinh The Cuong
Head of Shipping and Maritime Service (Vietnam Maritime Bureau)
In Cai Mep – Thi Vai area, the service charge rate for importing, exporting, temporarily importing and re-exporting containers will be increased by 10%, from USD 46 / container 20 feet, USD 68 / container 40 feet to 52 USD / container 20 feet, 77 USD / container 20 feet …
Talking to the Traffic Newspaper, Nguyen Xuan Ky, deputy general director of Cai Mep International Terminal (CMIT), said that the handling fees at the deep-water port remained unchanged after five years. “Therefore, the increase in Circular 54 for Cai Mep area is reasonable so that the service price is comparable with the region,” said Ky.
According to Nguyen Hai Tuan, Director of Nam Hai Port Joint Stock Company, the service charge rate for export and import containers, temporary import and re-export was adjusted up by 10% in line with reality. However, Tuan said that the separation of the container handling barge from barges to barges, cars, and wagons at the piers made the ports in Hai Phong difficult.
Cao Trung Ngoan, Acting General Director of Hai Phong Port Joint Stock Company expressed concern when the service price increase period stipulated in Circular 54 was uneven among seaports in Hai Phong.
“In Hai Phong, container exports and imports grew only 6% (300,000 TEUs) per year. Meanwhile, in 2018, the area has two more wharves of HITC and two wharves of Nam Dinh Vu port, with total capacity of 1.5 million TEU. Thus, the port supply increased more than five times the demand so far, the port enterprises compete fiercely on price, “said Ngoan.
Which facilities increase the price of seaport service?
Sharing with the Traffic Newspaper about the increase of service prices in Region I, Trinh The Cuong, Head of Shipping and Maritime Services (Maritime Department) said, since the Ministry of Transport issued Decision No. 3863, foreign carriers take the minimum price to force prices and force ports in Hai Phong to reduce the price by the minimum price of $ 30/20 feet container. This causes direct damage to port revenue and indirectly reduces the taxes that port can add to the state.
“In terms of scale, the total investment and service quality of some seaports in Hai Phong are roughly equivalent to those of other countries in the region, but the rates are only 20-51% Countries such as Thailand Port ($ 59), Cambodia, China ($ 97). Therefore, the adjustment of the rates of loading and unloading containers for import and export, temporary import for re-export of region I is necessary.
According to Mr. Cuong, to adjust the service price really effective with the port business sector 1, Vietnam Maritime Bureau recommends after a year of implementation will organize impact assessment as the basis Produce prices to suit the reality of each subsequent year.
Regarding the adjustment at Cai Mep – Thi Vai area, Cuong said that the loading and unloading price at Cai Mep – Thi Vai is currently only equal to 41 – 71% of the price of ports in the region, while port quality equivalent service. As a result, the increase in the price of container loading and unloading services for import and export, temporary import for re-export to Cai Mep – Thi Vai up to 10% will ensure the efficiency of port investment and recoverability.
Regarding the application of the new price bracket at Lach Huyen Port, which is not being implemented at the same time as other ports in Zone 1, according to Trinh The Cuong, Lach Huyen Port has been put into operation, Saigon New Port Corporation has proposed to keep the same price as Decision No 3863 until the end of 2020; From years
