After receiving several complaints about waterway fee collections in Ho Chi Minh City and Hai Phong Province, the Viet Nam Inland Waterway Administration (VIWA) has submitted a report to the Ministry of Transport (MoT), commenting on the case.

VIWA asserts that the freight involved in the complaints was transported via natural waterways connecting to seaports, which are under the management of MoT, but not via local facilities connecting to seaports, which are under the management of local authorities. Accordingly, it is beyond local authority to collect facility fees on the freight.

Regarding Cambodia's complaints that some Cambodian vessels were not exempt from the fees to enjoy the most-favoured-nation treatment, as stated in the bilateral agreement on waterway transportation in 2009, VIWA urges HCM City to consider fee exemption on the freight transported via the waterways defined in the agreement.

VIWA underscores local collections as noncompliance to the agreement, adversely affecting the Viet Nam-Cambodia relationship.

VIWA reveals that waterway transportation between Viet Nam and Cambodia goes through two international border gates, which are Thuong Phuoc-Kok Rohka Gate and Vinh Xuong-Caom Samnor Gate. The waterways allow goods to transit from Sai Gon Port and Thi Vai-Cai Mep Port to Cambodia.

"Goods in transit on the waterways reached 5 million tonnes in 2019, up about 19 to 20 per cent year-on-year. The waterways defined in the agreement have proved to be key traffic routes of great economic and political importance," said the leader of VIWA.

VIWA also urges the local authorities to reduce the facility fees as much as possible to encourage the use of waterway transportation, easing traffic on road systems. — VNS