Ba Ria-Vung Tau (VNS/VNA) - Developing infrastructure is an indispensable trend that thesouthern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau is following to achieve the goal ofcomprehensive development, the provincial People’s Committee has said.

It would also help the provincecarry out its socio-economic development plan for 2020-2030, it said.

In recent years this coastalprovince has invested a lot in upgrading and expanding roads, logistics centresand ports.

This helps reduce the time ittakes and makes it more convenient for locals and investors to reachneighbouring cities and provinces like Ho Chi Minh City, Binh Duong and DongNai both by sea and road, the People’s Committee said.

Investment has also been madeto upgrade intra-province transportation between industrial zones, ports andlogistic centres, the province said, affirming that upgrades to infrastructureand transportation would continue in 2020.

As the southern gateway of thecountry, its ports play an important role. Therefore, developing the portnetwork and logistic centres remains a top priority for the province.

In 2020 Ba Ria-Vung Tau willseek investment to develop Cai Mep Ha Port’s logistic services centre anda warehouse for empty containers.

Transportation to the port willalso be upgraded including 911B and Phuoc Hoa-Cai Mep Roads and Phuoc AnBridge.

To attract more cargo to Cai Mep-Thi Vai Port,the province plans to streamline administrative procedures next year.

A review of port projects willbe done to streamline the functioning of ports.

Construction of roads,including the Bien Hoa-Vung Tau Highway, will be speeded up in 2020 toimprove transportation.

Ba Ria-Vung Tau will alsostrongly focus on infrastructure at industrial zones and complexes, installinglights, upgrading drainage systems, improving telecom services, and buildingwaste treatment plants.

Ba Ria-Vung Tau has beeninvesting in infrastructure and transportation for a long time, enabling it toachieve strong growth in logistics.

This year port services andlogistics developed significantly with around 71.1 million tonnes of cargotransported through the province’s ports, up nearly 5 percent.

This volume represents 52 percentof the ports’ combined capacity, one percentage point up from 2018.

A province official said manyplans have been made and a number of methods were used to developinfrastructure and transportation in 2019.

For example, the provinceorganised a conference on how to boost ports’ operational efficiency, hesaid. 

A conference to connectlogistics companies in Cai Mep-Thi Vai port area was also organised.

Besides, a number of methods toimprove service operation at Cai Mep-Thi Vai in 2019-2020 were discussed,and suggestions to develop the Bien Hoa-Vung Tau highway wereoffered. 

The province discussed theinvestment plan in Bien Hoa-Vung Tau Highway and Phuoc An Bridgewith Dong Nai province.

It has approved a proposal toset up a port and logistics management board. 

A plan to build acargo-checking centre at Cai Mep-Thi Vai Port has been made.

Thanks to these efforts,over 1,000ha of logistic areas has been put into operation inindustrial zones.

Ba Ria-Vung Tau has for along time been an ideal destination for investment thanks to its convenientlocation: it is situated only around 100km from HCM City.

The province has a network ofmodern highways and inner roads that conveniently connect it with otherprovinces in the region as well as with ports and industrial zones.

It is now focusing ondeveloping services, ports, trade, tourism, and high-tech agriculture.

It has become an energy, heavyindustry, port, and tourism hub of the country with the Phu My ThermalPower Plant and Ba Ria Power Plant which account for 40 percent of thecountry’s total power capacity.

It has 32 ports with a totalcapacity of 87 million tonnes a year.

Since 2017, the Cai Mep InternationalTerminal has been able to berth vessels of up to 190,000 tonnes. From here,they can sail to Europe and America./.