As the only locality bordering the sea, Can Gio is known as the "green lung" of Ho Chi Minh City with a world biosphere reserve. Binh Khanh ferry is currently the only route to this island district because there is no connecting bridge. The average income per capita of Can Gio is only nearly 70 million VND/year, less than half of the average level of Ho Chi Minh City. In the next 30 years, Ho Chi Minh City wants to turn Can Gio from a poor island district into a resort coastal city and an international goods transit center.
Can Gio’s per capita income is only nearly 70 million VND/year, less than half of the average level in Ho Chi Minh City. In the next 30 years, Ho Chi Minh City wants to transform Can Gio from a poor island district into a resort coastal city and an international cargo transit center.
The two projects, Can Gio International Transit Port (Can Gio Port) worth nearly 6 billion USD and the sea-encroaching urban area worth more than 9 billion USD, are expected to be the "springboard" for this island district to "change its skin". Of which, Can Gio Port is expected to create 8,000 jobs, while the sea-encroaching urban area will attract nearly 300,000 people to live - 3 times the population of Can Gio, and 9 million tourists per year - equal to 1/3 of the current number of visitors to the city. The urban area project has been approved by the Government, Ho Chi Minh City is appraising and adjusting the detailed planning, while Can Gio Port is only at the stage of making a proposal, requesting additional planning.
The Can Gio Port Project is located in Phu Loi Islet, in the transition zone of the Can Gio Mangrove Biosphere Reserve. The total port area is 571 hectares (accounting for 0.8% of the district), including 90 hectares of coastal protection forest land and 481 hectares of water surface area. To implement the project, the protection forest area must be converted.
Can Gio is considered to have the advantage of being close to important international shipping routes and possessing the best waterway in the country, capable of receiving the world's largest tonnage ships (250,000 tons). This port aims to exploit the international transit market that is being neglected in Vietnam, while ports in Southeast Asia hold 28% of the total global international transit volume, according to 2021 data.
Ho Chi Minh City has ambitions to bring Can Gio port on par with the largest international cargo transit centers in Southeast Asia such as Singapore and Malaysia. According to the consulting unit's calculations, shipping lines will save at least a quarter of fuel costs when choosing Can Gio instead of Singapore to transit goods from Thailand, Cambodia, and the Philippines thanks to the shortened sea route.
Source link
Comment (0)