Decision No. 1195/QD-TTg Approving the Master Plan for the Development of Vietnam's Maritime Transport until 2010 and Orientations until 2020

Pursuant to …;

Regarding the approval of the Master Plan for the Development of Vietnam's Maritime Transport until 2010 and orientations until 2020

PRIME MINISTER

Pursuant to the Law on Organization of the Government dated December 25, 2001;

Based on the opinions of ministries and sectors at the meeting held on February 24, 2003 regarding the Master Plan for the Development of Vietnam's Maritime Transport until 2010 and orientations until 2020;

Considering the proposal of the Ministry of Transport (report No. 239/GTVT-KHĐT dated January 17, 2003 and No. 1747/GTVT-KHĐT dated April 29, 2003); and the review opinion of the Ministry of Planning and Investment (letter No. 4729BKH/KCHT&ĐT dated August 5, 2003) on the Master Plan for the Development of Vietnam's Maritime Transport until 2010 and orientations until 2020,

Pursuant to …;

Article 1. Approve the Master Plan for the Development of Vietnam's Maritime Transport until 2010 and orientations until 2020 with the main contents as follows:

1. Views and development goals:

- Development views:

+ Develop maritime transport at a fast and synchronized pace to meet the increasing demand for marine transportation of the national economy with higher quality, reasonable costs, serving the industrialization and modernization of the country; enhance the competitiveness of maritime transport to proactively integrate and expand the maritime transport market in the region and worldwide; promote economic development and contribute to national security and defense.

+ Develop maritime transport in synchronization with the development of closely related transport sectors such as road transport, inland waterway transport, railway transport... creating conditions for the development of advanced transport modes (multimodal transport) to form a synchronized and integrated transport system.

+ Develop maritime transport in synchronization with investment in the development of transport means and link it with the development of the mechanical transport industry, focusing on developing the shipbuilding industry.

+ Develop the fleet towards modernization, rejuvenation, and a balanced combination between diversification and specialization; develop specialized fleets strongly.

+ Develop human resources strongly towards improving the quality of management staff and seafarers to enhance management efficiency, business operations, expand maritime service activities, and export seafarers.

- Development goals:

+ Develop the maritime fleet to reach a total deadweight of 4,445,000 DWT by 2010 and aim for 7,100,000 DWT by 2020; gradually rejuvenate the fleet to reach an average age of 16 years by 2010 and aim for 14 years by 2020; increase the average productivity of transport means to 16.7 T/DWT by 2010 and aim for 20.0 T/DWT by 2020; focus on developing specialized fleets, especially container ships and bulk carriers.

+ Gradually increase the share of cargo transportation for import and export to 25% by 2010 and aim for 35% by 2020; ensure 100% domestic maritime cargo transportation; improve the quality of maritime transport services.

2. Content of the master plan:

a) Master plan for the development of the maritime transport fleet in Vietnam until 2010:

- Scale and need for additional fleet until 2010:

The total deadweight of the Vietnamese cargo fleet will be 4,445,000 DWT by 2010, including 326,000 DWT that needs replacement.

The need for additional deadweight of the cargo transport fleet until 2010 is 3,231,336 DWT, including:

+ Dry cargo ships: 1,647,653 DWT.

+ Container ships: 470,236 DWT (equivalent to 36,172 TEU).

+ Oil tankers: 1,113,447 DWT.

The need for additional passenger capacity is 20,000 seats.

b) Capital investment requirements for fleet development until 2010:

The capital investment requirement for the cargo transport fleet is 32,313 billion VND.

The capital investment requirement for the passenger transport fleet is 640 billion VND.

c) Orientation for the development of vessel types and sizes until 2020:

- International routes:

For bulk cargo: to countries in the Asia region, mainly using vessels of 15,000 - 20,000 DWT; to North America, Europe, Africa, mainly using vessels of 30,000 - 50,000 DWT.

For general cargo: to countries in the Asia region, mainly using vessels of 10,000 - 15,000 DWT; to North America, Europe, Africa, mainly using vessels of 20,000 - 30,000 DWT.

For containers: to countries in the Asia region, mainly using vessels of 1,000 - 3,000 TEU; to Europe, Africa, North America, using large vessels from 4,000 - 6,000 TEU.

For crude oil: mainly using large vessels of 100,000 - 200,000 DWT.

For refined products: mainly using vessels of 20,000 - 40,000 DWT.

- Domestic routes:

For bulk cargo and general cargo: depending on the distance and volume of transport, using vessels of 1,000 - 10,000 DWT.

For containers: using vessels of 100 - 1,000 TEU.

For crude oil: using vessels above and below 100,000 DWT.

For refined products: using vessels of 1,000 - 10,000 DWT.

Develop suitable vessels for coastal and river-sea transport in two areas: the Red River Delta and the Mekong Delta.

For passenger vessels: develop various types of passenger vessels serving travel to islands from the mainland with capacities of 100 - 500 seats; for the North-South route with capacities of 500 - 1,000 seats.

d) Orientation for the development of loading and unloading technology:

- Form transport hubs with central ports and satellite port systems capable of applying advanced loading and unloading technologies. Create a foundation for international gateway ports and international transshipment ports.

- Select advanced loading and unloading technologies suitable for each type of cargo: bulk cargo, general cargo, liquid cargo, particularly container cargo with high handling capacity.

- Loading and unloading technology must ensure connectivity among different transport modes (sea with rail, road, inland waterways...), apply advanced and high-efficiency technologies, and reduce transport costs.

- Form inland container depots (ICD) within the country to connect with sea ports, forming a synchronized and integrated system to enhance port throughput, shorten cargo and transport vehicle storage time, and reduce traffic congestion.

In addition to applying advanced loading and unloading technologies and modern equipment, administrative procedures should be reformed, and advanced service models developed to provide maximum convenience for customers.

đ) Orientation for the development of the maritime service system:

- Improve service quality and professionalism, aiming for comprehensive services and expanding services abroad.

- Encourage all economic sectors to participate in maritime service business according to planning guidelines within a network under unified management and regulation.

- Prioritize types of maritime services that generate foreign currency and have high business efficiency.

- Study the formation of some distribution centers and advanced maritime service forms such as logistics service centers and other advanced maritime service types at key transport hubs. After 2010, develop integrated package maritime service types strongly.

- Strengthen state management in the field of maritime services, creating a transparent environment to enhance business effectiveness while ensuring healthy operations and facilitating transportation and loading/unloading activities.

e) Orientation for human resource development:

From now until 2010, train and upgrade 26,000 officers and seafarers, including training new personnel of 16,000 people (including 10,000 people meeting the requirements for ship fleet development and 6,000 people for supplementation and replacement), upgrading 10,000 people (including upgrading to higher ranks of 3,000 people, reaching STCW 78/95 standards of 6,800 people).

- Enhance the teaching staff, technical infrastructure, and modernize training equipment of two universities: Haiphong Maritime University and Ho Chi Minh City Transport University.

- Reform the training curriculum of maritime vocational schools so that these schools can undertake the training of high-level technicians in maritime technology and upgrade to college level when conditions are met.

- Consolidate and develop maritime cadet training and technical worker training centers.

- Ensure a reasonable ratio between the management cadre, officers... with university or equivalent qualifications and the skilled seafarers and technical workers in the maritime sector. Emphasize theoretical and practical training, foreign language training, and link training in schools with practical experience.

- Strengthen international cooperation in the field of human resource training in the maritime industry.

- Encourage the training of officers and seafarers with high levels of expertise to serve the export of seafarers.

3. Some main solutions and policies:

- Implement reform and restructuring of enterprises in the marine transport sector, focusing on reforming the activities of Vietnam Maritime Corporation according to the holding company model (currently being piloted). Build and develop the ship fleet of the Corporation as the backbone of the national ship fleet, concentrate capital for investment and modernization of the ship fleet and ports; establish a close relationship between ships, ports, and service systems in the transport chain to gradually form a maritime economic group.

- Continue administrative reform at Vietnamese ports to facilitate marine transport activities; simultaneously study the establishment of a fee reduction roadmap at ports to increase the competitiveness of Vietnamese marine transport.

- Continue implementing Decision No. 149/2003/QĐ-TTg dated July 21, 2003 of the Government on certain policies and mechanisms to encourage the development of the Vietnamese ship fleet.

- Actively and appropriately integrate into the international arena in the field of marine transport. Apply advanced transport technologies, especially multimodal transport and international transshipment. Apply information technology in organizing and operating the ship fleet. Form an international maritime service network, establishing connections between shippers, ship owners, ports, and other modes of transport.

- Effectively implement the International Safety Management Code (ISM Code) of the International Maritime Organization (IMO). Properly implement international conventions on limiting pollution from ships (MARPOL 73/78), invest in means and equipment to address oil spills and collect waste at ports; improve the quality of Vietnamese ship surveyors and the quality of ship registration and technical supervision work, particularly for international route ships.

- Amend and supplement legal regulations, including researching proposals to amend the Maritime Law and related subordinate laws. Issue new legal regulations on multimodal transport, port infrastructure management towards leasing for ports built by the State, and provisions on applying safety and environmental protection standards for foreign ships entering and leaving Vietnamese ports.

Article 2. Implementing organization.

1. The Ministry of Transport shall take the lead and coordinate with relevant ministries, departments, provincial and municipal people's committees under the central government to organize the implementation of the planning for the development of Vietnam's marine transport up to 2010 and orientation up to 2020.

2. Based on this plan, the Ministry of Transport shall be responsible for developing detailed plans every five years and annually in accordance with the country's socio-economic development needs; guide and monitor the implementation of the plan; research and propose necessary measures to effectively implement the plan.

3. Ministries, departments, provincial and municipal people's committees under the central government shall, within their functions, duties, and authorities, be responsible for coordinating with the Ministry of Transport to implement the tasks and objectives of the planning for the development of marine transport, ensuring consistency and synchronization with the implementation of the socio-economic development plan of the sector and locality.

Article 3. THIS DECISION SHALL TAKE EFFECT 15 DAYS AFTER THE DATE OF SIGNATURE.

Article 4. Ministers, heads of agencies equivalent to ministries, heads of government agencies, chairmen of provincial and municipal people's committees under the central government are responsible for enforcing this Decision.