Strategic move
At the Vietnam Logistics Forum 2024 held in Ba Ria - Vung Tau province (December 2), Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien assessed that Free Trade Zones are one of the important competitive advantages and an effective tool for countries to maximize the benefits brought about by the integration process.
In fact, in recent years, the Free Trade Zone model has been successfully applied by many countries (such as Singapore, China, Korea, UAE, etc.), helping to reduce costs, increase product competitiveness, optimize the flow of goods, improve logistics capacity, and attract foreign investment.
“With its strategic and potential geographical location, strengths in developing deep-water seaport infrastructure, international airports, road and railway traffic hubs with countries in the region and the world, Vietnam has all the favorable conditions to build and develop large-scale and modern free trade zones. The Ministry of Industry and Trade, as the focal point for state management of logistics services, is submitting to the Prime Minister a draft Strategy for developing Vietnam's logistics services for the period 2025 - 2035, with a vision to 2050. Accordingly, the draft Strategy has proposed many synchronous and drastic solutions (including solutions on building free trade zones) to realize the goal of making Vietnam a strong country in logistics, actively contributing to the cause of industrialization and modernization of the country. These are very important contents, of practical relevance not only for the development of Vietnam's logistics service industry, but also important for the development of the country's economy in the new era - the era of national growth" , Minister Nguyen Hong Dien affirmed.
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Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien. Photo: Nguyen Ngoc |
Secretary of the Ba Ria - Vung Tau Provincial Party Committee Pham Viet Thanh said that the locality has a strategic position, being the gateway to the East Sea of the Southeast region and the whole country. In recent years, with the attention of the Central Government in investing resources, the Southeast and inter-regional transportation network is being completed, along with the development of Long Thanh International Airport, the modernization of Cai Mep - Thi Vai seaport into an international transit port of regional and world stature, associated with the development of a national and international logistics center according to the model of "green port, green logistics" to meet the requirements of international integration and sustainable development.
The Secretary of the Ba Ria - Vung Tau Provincial Party Committee commented that the provincial planning for the 2021-2030 period, with a vision to 2050 approved by the Prime Minister, has opened up new opportunities and new fortunes, developing Ba Ria - Vung Tau province into a national maritime economic center, a maritime service center of the country and Southeast Asia, a high-quality international-class tourism center, and one of the major industrial centers of the Southeast region.
The province is gradually forming and developing 4 new industries: Petrochemical, wind power equipment manufacturing industry, liquefied petroleum center, and bio-industry; continuing to promote the spirit of "self-reliance, self-confidence, self-reliance, self-strengthening" to focus on promoting Ba Ria - Vung Tau to become a renewable energy center and a supply chain center for the offshore wind power industry in the world.
Along with that, the Secretary of the Ba Ria - Vung Tau Provincial Party Committee emphasized the importance of developing a free trade zone combined with a seaport in the Cai Mep Ha area of the province.
“This is an important strategic step to complete the logistics infrastructure for the Southeast region. Accordingly, the early establishment of the Free Trade Zone associated with Cai Mep Ha seaport will be synchronously connected with Long Thanh International Airport and Cai Mep - Thi Vai deep-water seaport, creating an extremely strong competitive advantage for the region and the country to renew the old momentum. At the same time, creating a new momentum in attracting new generation investment in the service - industrial - urban space on the East-West economic corridor from Moc Bai to Cai Mep - Thi Vai”, Mr. Pham Viet Thanh affirmed.
Need to deploy soon
Speaking to reporters of the Industry and Trade Newspaper, Mr. Tran Chi Dung - General Secretary of the Vietnam Logistics Service Enterprises Association - said that the establishment of a free trade zone will create very important boosts for the locality, the region and the whole country.
According to Mr. Dung, there will be 3 big boosts. First, attracting foreign investment capital, both indirect and direct. Second, technology transfer helps Vietnamese human resources learn new technology, and surrounding businesses also benefit when providing products, services, and coordinating business links. Third, it is possible to develop a creative economy because in reality, not only traditional logistics is developed, but it will be the latest logistics services, creating a logistics network that forms a spiral for development.
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| Perspective of Cai Mep Ha Logistics Center. Photo: Portcoast |
The General Secretary of the Vietnam Logistics Service Enterprises Association said that we are facing legal difficulties but can open up slowly. Mr. Dung also emphasized that what the law allows, we will do first, what is lacking will be completed later. "Only when we do it will we see clearly where the problem lies, if we just sit and watch, listen to what people say, we cannot do it, so we need to implement it soon," Mr. Dung suggested.
Mr. Nguyen Thanh Binh – General Director of Gemadept Group – assessed that Ba Ria – Vung Tau province has many outstanding competitive advantages to develop a free trade zone. Once the Cai Mep gateway port cluster is formed, it will be planned and developed in a modern and synchronous manner, and can accommodate the world’s largest mother ship.
In order not to miss the opportunity to invest in free trade zones, Mr. Binh suggested that it is necessary to choose a suitable model based on consulting and learning from standard models in the region and the world.
According to Mr. Binh, Ba Ria – Vung Tau province needs to be determined in proposing to the Central Government to allow the implementation of the free trade zone with timely and synchronous policies. Without waiting for Da Nang to finish the pilot, Ba Ria – Vung Tau province can apply to implement the free trade zone in parallel with Da Nang.
“The free trade zone in Ba Ria – Vung Tau needs to be implemented with full functions of a true FTZ right from the beginning. This is in accordance with the Government’s motto and General Secretary To Lam’s statement “running and queuing at the same time”, otherwise it will be too late,” Mr. Binh suggested.
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