Nghe An considers financial support for shipping lines arriving at Cua Lo port

Exporting and importing goods at Cua Lo port. Photo: Thanh Duy

Accordingly, if the policy is approved, shipping lines operating container shipping services according to regulations and loading or unloading goods at Cua Lo port along routes with a frequency of at least 2 port visits per month will be supported with VND 200 million/port visit.

As for enterprises with goods transported by container through Cua Lo port with a frequency of at least 2 times per month, it is proposed to support them with VND 600 thousand/container for 20-foot containers and VND 1 million/container for 40-feet or larger ones.

Shipping lines and enterprises eligible to enjoy the policy are entitled to choose to receive monthly or one-time financial support.

Currently, this draft policy is being widely consulted by Nghe An Provincial People's Committee from March 7 to April 7, 2023; then it will be finalized and submitted to the 18th Provincial People's Council. It is expected that a resolution on this supporting policy for 2023 - 2026 period will be considered promulgating at next July’s session.

The promulgation of this policy aims to effectively exploit the advantages of natural location, seaports, develop logistics services and attract investment in the Southeast Economic Zone and industrial parks across the province.

Attracting shipping lines to open container shipping routes and enterprises with goods transported by container will also be expected to increase export and import turnover through Cua Lo port, thereby contributing to increasing import and export tax revenue, increasing the provincial budget, thereby indirectly helping Nghe An to have more resources from the application of the specific mechanism and policies promulgated by the National Assembly to implement local infrastructure investment projects; at the same time, having an indirect impact on increasing service revenues at the port, creating jobs...

Cua Lo port is a national general seaport, a regional focal point (type I) belonging to the North Central seaport group. It is planned to include South Cua Lo wharf area (9 berths) and North Cua Lo wharf area (25 berths), serving industrial production facilities in the Southeast economic zone, socio-economic development of Nghe An province, receiving part of transit goods for the Lao People's Democratic Republic and the Northeast Kingdom of Thailand; there are general berths, bulk cargo, containers, liquid/gas cargo, passenger harbors, yachts which are associated with Cua Lo’s tourism.

Cua Lo port was built from 1979, not until 1985 was it put into operation with an initial scale of 4 berths for 10,000 to 25,000- ton ships. Along with the development of the Southeast Economic zone, in 2010, the Prime Minister allowed Nghe An province to study the construction of North and South of Cua Lo wharfs for 30,000 to 50,000-ton ships, serving to attract seaport business investors.

In the 2010-2020 period, Nghe An province has successfully attracted a number of seaport business investors. So far, Cua Lo port has 12 berths put into operation (5 general berths; 5 cement berths; 2 petroleum berths), initially meeting the needs of transporting goods and materials for investment, production and business activities of enterprises in the province and surrounding areas.

Currently, there are 2 container shipping lines operating on domestic routes and international transshipment through the ports of Ho Chi Minh - Hai Phong - Cua Lo with a frequency of 2-3 visits/week at Cua Lo port.

From May 2022, there is 1 container shipping line operating directly from Cua Lo - Kolkatar (India) - Chitagong (Bangladesh) with a frequency of 1 visit at Cua Lo port per week. However, for the whole of 2022, there were only 7 visits.

Nghe An is taking necessary steps to start construction of Cua Lo deep-water port in Nghi Thiet commune, Nghi Loc district this year. The project includes 1 wharf for 30,000-ton ships and 1 wharf for 50,000-ton ships and other items of maritime infrastructure. It is invested by The International Transport Investment and Development Joint Stock Company, with a total capital of up to VND 3,896 billion.