Viet Nam has set an objective to build up its merchant fleet to handle as much as 20 per cent of the country's exports by the year 2030, according to deputy minister of transport Nguyen Xuan Sang.

He said the main goals included the development of a modern fleet, improvement of efficiency and quality and greater integration into the international market.

The short-term focus was to build up a fleet of container ships for the Asia-Pacific region, with an objective to gain operational experience and set the foundation for long-distance routes in the future.

In addition, the Vietnamese maritime authorities could use the experience to improve their management capacity, legal framework, implementation of science and technology and administrative procedures to better support economic enterprises.

He said Viet Nam was to increase collaboration with countries around the world and enter into international maritime treaties, especially a speedy conclusion to maritime transport agreements with neighbouring partners including China, Cambodia and Thailand.

Earlier, the ministry mentioned several tax cuts for container ships with a capacity of 1,500 TEU or greater, ships fuelled by green energy and ships specialised in the transport of LNG. Crew members who operate on domestic routes may also be eligible for income tax exemptions.

Sang said the country had been and would stay committed to the development of Vietnamese shipping companies. He urged Vietnamese companies to form alliances, pool resources and build up their expertise to reach farther destinations such as Europe and America.

In addition, Viet Nam would stay on course with its transition to green energy in maritime transport in accordance with a roadmap set out and agreed upon during the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26).

A report by the Vietnam Maritime Administration (VinaMarine) shows that along with an average annual growth of 12 per cent of export-import turnover in 2016-21, the cargo throughput of the country's seaports saw a stable increase in the period. In the first seven months of this year, the throughput growth slowed down but still showed a year-on-year rise of 2 per cent, reaching about 63 million tonnes.

The country's ports in recent years have been developed and are now able to accommodate the world's largest ships. The country's merchant fleet ranks third among ASEAN nations and 28th in the world. — VNS