The Vinh Tan international seaport, worth more than VND2.3 trillion (US$98.7 million), opened its doors on Saturday in the southern province of Binh Thuan.

Financed by the Vinh Tan International Port Co, a member of the Pacific Corporation, the port spans 140ha in the Tuy Phong District. It has a 3,000DWT wharf and two 50,000DWT wharves, and will have a 70,000DWT wharf in the near future.

The investor said the port will contribute to promoting investment attraction, satisfying the increasing demand for cargo transport of local enterprises in Binh Thuan Province and others of neighbouring provinces while facilitating local budget and creating more local jobs.

Nguyen Ngoc Hai, chairman of the provincial People’s Committee, said the port can be easily connected with industrial zones in Binh Thuan, Ninh Thuan and the Central Highlands provinces, helping reduce transport costs and spur marine economy growth.

Bui Thien Thu, deputy head of the Viet Nam Maritime Administration, said the establishment of the Vinh Tan international port is to realise the State’s policy of encouraging economic sectors, especially the private one, to invest in economic infrastructure development.

The country is home to 272 wharfs with accumulated annual capacity exceeding 550 million tonnes.

Last year, local seaports handled about 524.7 million tonnes of cargo, up 19 per cent year-on-year, and served 5.8 million passengers, up 28.9 per cent against 2017.

Around 1,300 businesses in the country are providing maritime services. However, they have fulfilled only a quarter of the market demand. — VNS