1. Development viewpoints

- To plan development of inland waterway transport fleet in order to orient and guide enterprises, organizations and individuals to implement investment and exploitation of inland waterway transport means in an effective manner, in accordance with fairway and conditions of waterway transport exploitation of each region;

- To develop inland waterway transport fleet with reasonable scale and structure towards rejuvenation and modernization to improve efficiency of exploitation to meet demand for transport of freight, passenger and raise market share of inland waterway transport in transport system, reducing environmental pollution and energy saving; focusing on development of inland waterway means with high-tech features, especially inland waterway means transporting container to improve efficiency of exploitation and further develop multi-modal transport; promoting development of sea river vessel to support road transport, reduce environmental impacts, ensuring traffic safety; developing various models of high quality passenger waterway transport to serve tourism and involving passenger transport in large urban areas (waterway taxi, waterway bus...);

- To develop synchronously inland waterway transports, developing fairway, port terminals, cargo handling equipment, system of supporting services to improve quality of service, lower costs of transport, ensuring conditions to exploit effectively, conveniently connecting with other modes of transport;

- To enhance capacity of enterprises of inland waterway transport, particularly corporate governance capacity; strengthening linkages to form enterprises of having scale, capacity to ensure to supply service of multi-modal transportation and logistics services with high quality;

- To focus on developing quality human resources, especially staff of corporate management, team crew, driver of means; strengthening the State management on registration and inspection of inland waterway transport means to ensure traffic safety of inland waterway.

2. Development objectives

2.1. By 2020

Proportion of cargo transport of inland waterways transport to total transport volume of entire transport sector is 17.72%, passenger transport is 4.1%. Average growth rate of transport volume in a period of 2015 - 2020 is 11.20%/year on cargo and 2.5%/year in terms of passengers.

Cargo transport volume reaches 393.89 million tons and 85.9 billion ton.km; passenger transport volume reaches 170 million passengers and 3.5 billion passenger.km; transport volume of containers hits about 3.45 million TEU; volume of sea river cargo transport reaches about 17.1 million tons.

2.2. Orientation to 2030

Proportion of cargo transport of inland waterways transport to total transport volume of entire transport sector is 15.48%, passenger transport is 1.9%. Average growth rate of transport volume in a period of 2015 - 2020 is 5.2%/year on cargo and 1.41%/year in terms of passengers.

Cargo transport volume reaches 655.89 million tons and 141.5 billion ton.km; passenger transport volume reaches 200 million passengers and 4.1 billion passenger.km; transport volume of containers hits about 5.57 million TEU; volume of sea river cargo transport reaches about 30.3 million tons.

1. Tonnage demand

1.1. In a period of 2015-2020

Total tonnage of cargo ships is 20-22 million tons by 2020 (including tonnage of sea river fleet of about 0.85 million tons, tonnage of container fleet of about 1.2 to 1.3 million tons) and passenger ship is 780,000 seats.

Demand for additional tonnage of cargo fleet by 2020 approximately hits 7.8 to 10.2 million tons (out of which, 6.8 to 8.8 million tones for meeting growing demand and 1.0 – 1.4 million tones for replacing old ships) and a fleet of passenger ship of 90,000-125,000 seats (out of which, 10,000 seats for meeting development demand and 80,000-115,000 seats for replacing old ships).

1.2. Orientation to 2030

Total tonnage of cargo fleet is 30.0 - 33.0 million tones (including tonnage of river sea fleet is about 1.5 - 1.7 million tones, a tonnage of container fleet is about 1.8 - 1.9 million tons) and passenger fleet is 950,000 seats.

2. Reasonable transport means on route

2.1. For transport route on the North

- Pushing barge fleet: 1.600-2.400 tons;

- Self-propelled vessel: 800 – 1.500 tons;

- River sea ship: 1.000-3.000 tons;

- Container carrying ships: 24 - 36 TEU;

- Normal passenger ships: 100-120 seats;

- High-speed passenger vessels: 90-100 seats.

2.2. For transport route on Southern region

- Pushing barge fleet: 2.000 tons;

- Self-propelled vessel: 1.000 – 2.000 tons;

- River sea ship: 1.000-5.000 tons;

- Container carrying ship: 54-128 TEU;

- Normal passenger ship: 50-120 seats;

- High-speed passenger vessels: 90-100 seats.

2.3. For transport routes on the Central region

- Self-propelled vessel: 300-600 tons;

- River sea ship: 1.000-3.000 tons;

- General passenger ships: 50-100 seats;

- High-speed passenger vessels: 20-50 seats.

3. Exploitation norms

3.1. Speed

- Pushing barge fleet: speed of 10 - 12 km/h

- Self-propelled vessel: speed of 15 - 20 km/h

- Passenger ships: speed of 25 km/h on normal train; speed of 45 - 60 km/h on high-speed vessels.

3.2. Technical features

To develop vessels with modern technical features, application of new technologies, suitable equipment, preventing environmental pollution (device of containing sludge, waste oil, sewage, garbage, hazardous waste, collecting, transporting and managing waste...).

1. Measures, policies and mechanisms on managing and developing transportation

1.1. To accelerate implementation of restructuring inland waterways transport to ensure socio-economic efficiency in investment and exploitation of inland waterway vessels. Strengthening professional management, activities of quality inspection and monitoring of transport vehicles and transport services, including solutions that meet requirements of approaching traffic.

1.2. To strengthen role of inland water transport on key transport corridor connecting with sea ports in key economic areas to improve exploitation efficiency, promoting multimodal transport and reducing costs of logistics service.

1.3. To review policies on waterway transport in general as well as new policy framework for developing forms of waterway taxi, waterway bus to contribute to development of public transport in big cities like Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang.

1.4. For sea river transport

- Promote development of sea river transport into modes of transport with good quality service, convenient, reasonable cost in order to improve competitiveness, undertake increasing transport market share.

- To review, modify, supplement and perfect system of legal documents, concerned standards, technical regulations, procedures, norms to ensure a legal framework for development of river sea transport.

- To complete infrastructure of river sea transport. Upgrading, regulating fairway of river mouth as planned.

1.5. For transport of containers

- To promote development of container transport by inland waterways on main shipping route that connects with international gateway ports. Investing in some of key inland waterway container port in northern region, Mekong river delta; focusing on combining development of inland container depots (ICD) in association with inland waterway transport.

- To encourage highly qualified transport enterprises to take in container transport by inland waterway transport.

2. Renovating mechanisms and policies on supporting inland waterway transport enterprises

- To review legal documents on charges and fees, legal regulations on inland waterway transport cost, in collaboration with Ministry of Finance to adjust rules which are inconvenient with reality, hindering development of inland waterway transport.

- To implement the Prime Minister’s Decision No. 47/2015 /QD-TTg dated 05/10/2015 on mechanisms and policies to encourage development of inland waterway transport.

- To create a healthy, equality competitive environment to improve capacity and efficiency of production and business of inland waterway transport enterprises; encouraging and creating favorable conditions for inland waterway transport enterprises to enhance joint ventures, associating with road transport enterprises, railway transport enterprises, sea ports to have sufficient capacity to provide intermodal transport services and high quality logistics service.

3. Solutions, mechanisms and policies on development of infrastructure system of inland waterway to facilitate transport

3.1. About fairway

- To continue to improve institutions and policies to mobilize social resources to develop transport infrastructure in direction of increasing trade features of investment projects; mobilizing all economic sectors to invest in developing infrastructure of inland waterway transport;

- To reconstruct, upgrade main transport routes under plan of development of inland waterway transport to 2020 and orientation to 2030. Completing reconstruction and upgrading of major fairways in accordance with project of the World Bank in Tonkin delta area and Mekong river delta. To prioritize allocation of economic capital for maintenance of inland waterway infrastructure according to plans approved by competent authorities with an annual increase rate at least higher than that previous year;

- To encourage form of socializing implementation of projects of dredging inland waterways which do not use the State budget, combining with exploiting products under current regulations.

3.2. About ports, terminals

- To encourage development of infrastructure of inland waterways ports and terminals in conjunction with development of logistic infrastructure, connection transport infrastructure and promoting socialization of activities of supplying logistics services. Supporting land rent for building infrastructure system of inland waterway ports and terminals to service cargo loading and uploading and development of multi-modal transport; allocating enough land for project of investing in building inland waterways ports and terminals, particularly port of loading and unloading cargo containers;

- To plan synchronously river port system along main waterway transport fairways; investing in number of large scale ports at center, vital position to perform functions of cargo collection and transshipment.

4. Solutions on improving quality of training, examining and granting certification for seafarers, drivers of inland waterway vehicles

- To conduct regularly a review of legal documents relating to training of seafarers, drivers of inland waterway vehicles.

- To promote advocacy as well as strictly handle cases of arranging seafarers, driver of inland waterway vehicles incorrect titles and seafarers, drivers of inland waterway vehicles which does not have a certificate of professional capacity, professional certificates or using inconsistent professional diplomas and certificates.

- To research to renovate curriculum training, retraining for force of seafarers, drivers of inland waterway vehicles; applying information technology in process of training, testing, granting certification of crew members, controllers of inland waterway vessels.

- To strengthen international cooperation in training of developing human resources.

5. Measures on improving efficiency of management of inland waterway means registration

- To review of legal documents related to field of registration of inland waterway vessels and suggesting amendments and supplementation on related provisions towards creating the most favorable conditions for enterprises and the people to enforce laws, meeting requirements of the State management.

- To enhance the State management responsibility of relevant authorities and local authorities, especially in communes, wards. To promote propagation and dissemination of Law on inland waterway transport and provisions of law on registration of inland waterway vessels.

- To promulgate synchronously regulations on technical safety and environmental protection standards for vehicles of inland waterway transport.

- To strengthen inspection and surveillance of activities of registration units at localities as well as activities of patrols to curb abuses of registration conditions of inland waterway means.

6. Solutions on development of facilities of inland waterway transport means new building and repairing

- To raise capacity of existing facilities of newly building, repairing inland waterway transport means. Promoting socialization of investing in development of newly building facilities in the north region and the south region to meet needs of fleet development toward modernization.

- To adjust technical standards of new building means towards improving quality of fleet, does not encourage development, looking towards minimizing number of wood bark means. Strengthening registration and registry to control quality of new means. Encouraging and supporting newly building and repairing enterprises to raise capacity, strengthening, expanding domestic and foreign linkage to raise funds, receive and transfer technology.

- To organize to set up plan of facilities of newly building and repairing inland waterway transport means in the whole country.

7. Solutions on environmental protection

To strengthen inspection and monitoring enforcement of existing laws on protecting environment related to inland waterway sector; investing in vehicles and equipment for oil spill recovery, waste collection in inland waterway ports.

8. Solutions and policies on application of new science and technologies

To set up and perfect standards, regulations, rules, procedures, specialized economic and technical norms in fields of survey, design, construction, acceptance, maintenance, maintenance of infrastructures of inland waterway transport. Coordinating with other transport sectors to apply advanced modes of transport, particularly for multi-modal transport. Applying effectively information technology in states of managing, operating and exploiting inland waterway transport.

1. Department for Transport

- To functions as the main implementer to urge and synthesis implementation of the plan after being announced.

- To coordinate with specialized department to regularly review laws, policies and mechanisms to suggest amendments and supplements to create favorable conditions for inland waterway transport enterprises to develop sustainably.

- To functions as the main implementer, in collaboration with the department of inland waterways of Vietnam and related agencies and organizations to study and form scheme on development of waterway taxi transport in big cities.

2. Department of officer organization

- To coordinate with department of inland waterways of Vietnam to strengthen management of training and testing seafarers, drivers of inland waterway vehicles, review and amend related legal documents to improve human resources in order to meet demand of fleet development.

- To function as the main implementer, in collaboration with relevant agencies to develop and implement plans of examining training, testing, detecting and correcting promptly violations in training, retraining, monitoring to propose measures to strengthen, promote, improve quality of training seafarers and drivers of inland waterway vessels.

3. Department of inland waterways of Vietnam

- To coordinate with local competence authorities and other relevant agencies to publish, manage implementation of the plan which complies with the approved plan.

- To propagate, disseminate, monitor and evaluate implementation of contents of the plan; in collaboration with transportation department and relevant departments to organize to periodically review actual situation, assess, and update the plan to be appropriate with situation of socio-economic development, reporting the Ministry of Transport for consideration and decision.

- To guide, inspect and supervise implementation as regulations on training seafarers, drivers of inland waterway vehicles. Researching, suggesting setting up plan of facilities if training seafarers, drivers of inland waterway vessels in a period of 2016-2018.

- To function as the main implementer, in collaboration with the Vietnam maritime administration to adjust, supplement and complete relevant legal framework to create favorable conditions for enterprises of sea river transport to develop.

- To organize to collect statistic data of inland waterway transport vehicles in the whole country; renovating to apply information technology into statistical work.

- To set up plan of facilities of newly building and repairing inland waterway vessels to submit the Ministry of Transport for approval in a period of 2016 - 2017.

- To identify shelters, storm shelter for inland waterway vessels.

4. Vietnam maritime administration

- To streamline, arrange suitable signage, signal buoys to guide inland waterway vessels which operate in sea port waters.

- To reform administrative procedures, organize dissemination of provisions on sea port waters for manager and drivers of inland waterway vessels operating in sea port waters to conduct smoothly.

- To organize to collect statistical data of freight cargo, inland waterway vessels operating in sea port waters.

- To construct navigator cost level for ships of VR-SB level.

- To locate navigator reception position for ships of VR-SB level which enter and exit terminals, harbors, water area of sea port waters under management units.

- To identify shelters, storm shelters for ships of VR-SB level.

5. Vietnam registration administration

To review related procedures and rules on sea river vessels, inland waterway vessels. Editing toward eliminating unnecessary standards, increasing standards relating to safety which suit each type of vessel.

6. Departments of Transport

- To regularly update, collect statistic data on number of real means, seafarers, and drivers of inland waterway vehicles under current regulations.

 - To develop programs and organize propagation and dissemination, education of law on inland waterway transport.

- To review and examine as prescribed all inland waterway vessels which enter and exist inland waterway ports under jurisdiction of management.

7. Ministries, centrally run provinces and cities under assigned tasks and powers will have responsibility to coordinate with the Ministry of Transport to organize, manage and implement the plan.

Long Giang
Source: moj.gov.vn