The investor proposed to establish the project in the form of BT.
According to the Vietnam Maritime and Inland Waterways Administration, Decree No. 58/2017/ND-CP clearly stipulates that the decision on investment policy for maritime routes using public investment capital is implemented in accordance with the provisions of the Law on Public Investment.
For maritime routes not subject to the use of public investment capital, implementation shall be carried out in accordance with the provisions of the Investment Law.
Quang Nam seaport is oriented to develop into a type I seaport, receiving large ships of up to 50,000 DWT. Illustrative photo.
Projects under the authority of the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee to decide on investment policies must have written consensus from the Ministry of Transport (now the Ministry of Construction ).
Investment in the construction of shipping lanes must be consistent with the approved seaport system development plan and comply with relevant legal provisions .
From here, the Vietnam Maritime and Waterways Administration affirms that if the investment in Cua Lo waterway does not use public investment capital, the decision on investment policy will be implemented according to the provisions of the Investment Law.
In case the People's Committee of Quang Nam province proposes to implement the Cua Lo channel construction investment project in the form of a Build-Transfer contract, the decision on investment policy shall be made in accordance with the provisions of the Investment Law in the form of public-private partnership.
According to information from Construction Newspaper, previously, Quang Nam province submitted to the Prime Minister the assignment of competent state agencies to implement the project under the BT form.
The Provincial People's Committee said it has received a proposal from Dai Quang Minh Real Estate Investment Joint Stock Company for approval to prepare an investment proposal for Cua Lo channel, a bridge connecting Tam Hiep - Tam Hoa wharf area and a road connecting Viet Han Industrial Park with Vo Chi Cong Street, under the BT form to complete the road traffic infrastructure system, synchronously connecting with maritime infrastructure.
According to the Vietnam Maritime Code (Law No. 95/2015/QH13), a navigational channel is a water area limited by a navigational signal system and auxiliary structures to ensure the safety of ship operations. Therefore, the Vietnam Maritime Administration requests the Ministry of Construction to provide comments to the Ministry of Finance to clarify the scope of the Cua Lo channel construction investment project in accordance with current regulations.
It is known that in the Submission to the Prime Minister, the People's Committee of Quang Nam province stated that the project proposed by the investor includes a channel about 6 km long, 140 m wide, dredging depth up to -13.2 m (according to the nautical chart). The total dredging volume is estimated at more than 20.9 million m³, with a preliminary total investment of about 6,648 billion VND.
The remaining two items include the bridge connecting Tam Hiep - Tam Hoa wharf area, about 1,540 m long, clearance 100x36.5 m, width 17.5 m for 4 lanes, total investment of about 1,286 billion VND; The road connecting Viet Han Industrial Park with Vo Chi Cong Street, 3.5 km long, road width 22 m, plain level III road, design speed 80 km/h, total investment of about 600 billion VND.
Flexible payment options
Regarding the BT contract payment plan, the investor proposed to pay with land funds to implement the corresponding project, including: duty-free zone, Tam Hoa port (797 hectares); Tam Hoa - Tam Tien residential - urban area (1,755 hectares) and Long Thanh Tay area (32 hectares).
In case the value of the corresponding land funds and dredged sand products is not enough to pay, the remaining amount will be balanced from local public investment capital.
According to the People's Committee of Quang Nam province, the province's seaport is oriented to develop into a type I port, receiving ships with a capacity of 50,000 DWT. It is forecasted that by 2030, the volume of goods passing through Quang Nam port will reach 8.5 - 10.3 million tons, of which containers will reach 0.6 - 0.8 million TEUs. The port will play the role of a logistics center for the Central Highlands - Central region, connecting to the East Sea for the Central Highlands, Southern Laos, Northeastern Cambodia and Thailand.
However, the current Ky Ha route can only accommodate 15,000 DWT fully loaded ships, or 20,000 DWT partially loaded ships, which is not commensurate with the scale of port infrastructure investment and cargo growth rate. Road connections to the port are also limited, affecting transportation efficiency.
Opening the way to the sea for Quang Nam
According to the People's Committee of Quang Nam province, investing in Cua Lo channel to receive 50,000 DWT ships is an important public maritime infrastructure, decisive to the development orientation of Chu Lai Open Economic Zone and Quang Nam province.
Along with that, the connecting bridge and route to Viet Han Industrial Park will complete the road and maritime traffic network, ensuring smooth transportation of goods.
"Currently, Chu Lai port only transports goods to short-haul ports in China, Korea, Japan, and India, and has not yet exploited longer routes such as to the US and Europe. Freight rates are still high compared to the region. After investing in Cua Lo channel, longer routes will be exploited, aiming for freight rates equivalent to Da Nang Port and major ports in the North and South," the provincial leader emphasized.
In addition, the project also creates more jobs for workers in the transportation service industry, attracts investment in Chu Lai Open Economic Zone, increases local budget revenue and promotes socio-economic development of Quang Nam province.
From the above analysis, the Provincial People's Committee recommends that the Prime Minister consider and approve the assignment of the Quang Nam Provincial People's Committee as the competent authority to implement the project in the form of public-private partnership, as a basis for the locality to implement the project investment in accordance with legal regulations.
Hoang Anh