Can Gio international "super port" project: Many contents need to be clarified
There are many contents related to the environment, state capital participating in investing in infrastructure connecting to the port, post-port service infrastructure, etc. that central ministries and branches have requested Ho Chi Minh City to clarify in the Project to Study and Build Can Gio International Transit Port.
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| Proposed location for construction of Can Gio International Transit Port |
Environmental issues are not clear
In a recent document sent to the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee regarding the Project to Study and Build the Can Gio International Transit Port (Can Gio Port), most ministries and sectors have requested Ho Chi Minh City to clarify many issues related to the environment, traffic connections and many other issues. The cautious assessment is easily seen by state management agencies because this project is located in the buffer zone of the Can Gio Mangrove Biosphere Reserve.
In Document No. 534/BTNMT-KHTC sent to the People's Committee of Ho Chi Minh City, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment stated that Official Dispatch No. 6083/UBND-DA dated December 4, 2023 of the People's Committee of Ho Chi Minh City has not clarified the contents related to land use to implement the Project, including the content of the Project's conformity with the planning and land use plan of the locality approved according to the provisions of Resolution No. 61/2022/QH15 dated June 16, 2022 of the National Assembly and ensuring the conditions for changing the purpose of land use to implement the Project.
On the other hand, the proposed location for the port is Con Cho Islet, at the mouth of Cai Mep River, which is part of the Can Gio protective forest. The natural area of this area is more than 86 hectares, belonging to the buffer zone of the Can Gio Mangrove Biosphere Reserve. Therefore, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment recommends that the Project's impact on biodiversity in the Can Gio Mangrove Biosphere Reserve be assessed and solutions be proposed to limit and minimize the Project's impacts on biodiversity here.
Ho Chi Minh City also needs to supplement information to clarify the current status of forest land planned to be converted into Can Gio Port. At the same time, supplement the consultation opinions of the Can Gio Protective Forest Management Board and UNESCO Vietnam on the implementation of the Project.
“There needs to be an assessment of the benefits of port exploitation and the benefits of the Can Gio Biosphere Reserve in terms of economic, social and environmental aspects. At the same time, there needs to be a specific assessment of the impact of dredging and port operations on the Can Gio Ecological Reserve,” stated Document No. 534/BTNMT-KHTC of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment.
After receiving comments from ministries and branches, the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee assigned the Department of Transport to clarify the issues raised and advise the City to complete the Project to submit to the Prime Minister in the first quarter of 2024.
Still related to environmental issues, in the document sent to the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee, the Ministry of Finance pointed out that, at Point 2.6.4, the Draft Submission to the Prime Minister, the content of the environmental impact assessment is not yet complete and detailed. Therefore, it is recommended that Ho Chi Minh City evaluate and clarify the impact between the development of Can Gio Port on the socio-economic development planning and the Can Gio Mangrove Biosphere Reserve to ensure the goal of sustainable development.
In addition to environmental issues, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Construction, and the People's Committee of Long An Province all requested a more detailed assessment and analysis of the competitiveness and economic benefits of Can Gio Port compared to existing ports that have been and are under construction. In particular, the Ministry of Finance requested a more thorough assessment of the feasibility of the Project, such as the rate of return on investment, payback period, etc.
Meanwhile, the People's Committee of Long An province proposed to add analysis and evaluation content to the overall group of seaports No. 4 including: Dong Nai, Binh Duong, Ho Chi Minh City, Ba Ria - Vung Tau and Long An, to ensure scientific, mutual support, and maximum exploitation of the ports.
Restricting the use of state capital to invest in roads connecting to ports
One of the issues raised by many ministries and branches is the traffic connection to Can Gio Port, when this project is isolated on an island in Can Gio. In Document No. 14560/BTC-CST, the Ministry of Finance requested Ho Chi Minh City to clarify the proposal for state capital to participate in investing in traffic infrastructure connecting to the port, because the draft does not include the expected total investment and the need to use each capital source to invest in infrastructure connecting to the port.
In addition, in the list of projects expected to use state budget capital attached to Decision No. 886/QD-TTg dated July 27, 2023 of the Prime Minister approving the Plan of policies, solutions and resources to implement the Master Plan for the development of Vietnam's seaport system for the period 2021-2030, with a vision to 2050, Can Gio Port is not on the list. Furthermore, the Project is not yet on the list of medium-term public investment plans.
Therefore, the financial management agency recommends that Ho Chi Minh City, during the research process of the Project, minimize the investment from the state budget for the transport infrastructure connecting to the port. At the same time, clarify whether the state budget investment is from the central government or the city budget and divide it into annual periods.
Still related to the infrastructure connecting to the port, the Ministry of Construction proposed to supplement the orientation of the connection between the seaport system and the urban system, production and distribution centers, industrial parks of Ho Chi Minh City in particular and the Southeast region in general. In addition, Ho Chi Minh City needs to clarify the investment roadmap for urban railway connecting metro line 4, because the Ministry believes that investing in connecting urban railway traffic to the port is difficult to be economically feasible because urban railway mainly transports passengers, not goods.
Regarding post-port service infrastructure such as logistics centers and duty-free zones, the Ministry of Industry and Trade said that the commercial law and foreign trade management law do not have specific regulations on duty-free zones and policies on managing commercial activities in duty-free zones. The free trade zone model is being proposed by some localities. Therefore, during the implementation process, the unit in charge will study and report in detail the content of duty-free zones and free trade zones for competent authorities to consider and decide.
Regarding Ho Chi Minh City's proposal that the Ministry of Industry and Trade take the lead in advising the Prime Minister to supplement the power supply plan for Can Gio Port, the Ministry of Industry and Trade said that this proposal is not well-founded and inappropriate, because according to Article 27 of the Planning Law, the power supply plan for the Port is integrated into the Ho Chi Minh City Planning for the period 2021-2030 prepared by the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee and submitted to the Prime Minister for approval, the Ministry of Planning and Investment is the agency in charge of appraisal.
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