Circular No. 31/2024/TT-BGTVT amending and supplementing certain provisions of Circular No. 12/2024/TT-BGTVT dated May 15, 2024, issued by the Minister of Transport on mechanisms and policies for managing service prices at Vietnamese seaports.

CIRCULAR

Amending and supplementing certain provisions of Circular No. 12/2024/TT-BGTVT dated May 15, 2024, issued by the Minister of Transport on mechanisms and policies for managing service prices at Vietnamese seaports

15 May 2024 of the Minister of Transport stipulating the mechanism and policies for managing service fees at Vietnamese seaports

d) Organizing the inspection of compliance with legal provisions regarding service fees at seaports.

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Pursuant to the Vietnam Maritime Code on November 25, 2015;

Pursuant to the Price Law dated June 19, 2023;

Pursuant to Decree No. 85/2024/NĐ-CP dated July 10, 2024 of the Government detailing certain provisions of the Price Law;

Pursuant to Decree No. 56/2022/NĐ-CP dated August 24, 2022 of the Government stipulating the functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure of the Ministry of Transport;

At the proposal of the Director of the Transport Department and The Director of the Vietnam Maritime Administration;

The Minister of Transport issues the Circular amends and supplements certain provisions of Circular No. 12/2024/TT-BGTVT dated May 15, 2024, issued by the Minister of Transport stipulating mechanisms and policies for managing service prices at Vietnamese seaports. Article 1. Amending and supplementing certain provisions of Circular No. 12/2024/TT-BGTVT dated May 15, 2024, issued by the Minister of Transport stipulating mechanisms and policies for managing service prices at Vietnamese seaports.

"1. Scope of regulation: This Circular stipulates mechanisms and policies for managing service prices at Vietnamese seaports, including: maximum price for marine pilotage services; price range for using wharves, berths, mooring buoys; price range for container handling services; price range for towing services for ocean-going vessels; regulations on the economic and technical characteristics of seaport services subject to price declaration."

1. Amending and supplementing Clause 1 of Article 1 as follows:

2. Supplementing Clause 10 following Clause 9 of Article 2 as follows:

"10. Seaport services are services provided by enterprises providing services or shipping enterprises or representatives of shipping enterprises, and charge service fees from customers to facilitate cargo and passenger transportation through seaports."

"Article 11a. Detailed name and specific type of seaport services subject to price declaration

3. Supplementing Article 11a after Article 11 as follows:

12. Environmental sanitation, including services for collecting, sorting, and treating waste generated by vessels at seaports."

1. Marine pilotage.

2. Use of bridges, wharfs, and mooring buoys.

3. Loading and unloading containers.

4. Towing of seagoing vessels.

5. Loading and unloading other goods, including dry cargo, bulk cargo, liquid cargo.

6. Securing and unsecuring of seagoing vessels.

7. Storage of goods at port warehouses, including container storage, dry cargo storage, bulk cargo storage, liquid cargo storage.

8. Counting, packing, and unpacking of goods at ports.

9. Issuing and providing container transport documents for containers transported through seaports.

10. Sealing and unsealing of containers transported through seaports.

11. Cleaning of containers, applicable when goods dirty the container resulting in container cleaning service.

4. Amending and supplementing Clause 1 of Article 13 as follows:

"1. Responsibilities of the Vietnam Maritime Administration:

a) Responsible for organizing and implementing this Circular. In cases where changes in factors forming prices may result in seaport service prices being lower than the minimum price or higher than the maximum price set by the Minister of Transport, the Vietnam Maritime Administration shall organize price assessments and report to the Ministry of Transport for consideration and adjustment according to regulations;

d) Organizing the implementation of inspections to ensure compliance with laws and regulations on seaport service prices."

b) Implement the receipt of price declaration documents in accordance with this Circular and related legal documents;

c) Regularly conduct comprehensive reviews of the list of enterprises declaring prices, reporting to the Ministry of Transport before December 5 each year;

d) Organize the implementation of inspections on compliance with legal provisions regarding service fees at seaports.

Article 2. Effective Date

1. This Circular shall take effect from January 15, 2025.

2. The Director of the Ministry's Office, the Inspector General of the Ministry, Heads of Departments, Directors of the Vietnam Maritime Administration, Heads of agencies, organizations, and individuals concerned are responsible for implementing this Circular./.