HCM City should collect infrastructure fees at seaports to ease pressure on the State budget, its Department of Transport has suggested. — VNA/VNS Photo

The HCM City Department of Transport has recommended that the People’s Committee should collect infrastructure fees at ports to fund improvements to their facilities.

The volume of cargo handled by them is growing at 5 per cent a year, with the goods brought mainly by road, meaning the number of container trucks going in and out of the ports is huge.

On average, 26,000 vehicles come to the ports every day but the road network around them has not developed commensurately, resulting in prolonged congestion, according to the department.

The city has been investing large amounts of money every year in transportation networks, infrastructure and public services at or near ports that serve foreign trade.

But funds are limited and so fees should be collected from users of public facilities, the department said.

According to figures from the Association of Viet Nam Seaports, HCM City ports’ throughput in 2018 was 6 million TEUs and Hai Phong ports’ was 2 million TEUs.

But Hai Phong collects fees at its ports, with the northern city’s People’s Council saying they amounted to VND1.29 trillion (US$56 million) in 2018.

Revenue from the fees could also be used to invest in infrastructure for business activities, which would help make HCM City a smart city and improve its logistics services, according to the department. – VNS