HCMC – The southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau has written to the Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Finance suggesting that the fee reduction for ships at the Cai Mep-Thi Vai Port be extended from January 1, 2021.
The port has offered a 40% reduction on the marine fee for ships with an overall internal volume of 50,000 GT or more since 2016. This policy will expire on December 31, 2020.
Without an extension, the fee would return to normal from January 1, 2021, which is much higher than that of other seaports in the region. Without the fee reduction, the marine fee for a 140,000 GT ship at the Cai Mep-Thi Vai Port would be US$37,520.
Ships below 50,000 GT are currently not entitled to a fee reduction.
The Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province government said Singapore is offering 20% off on the marine fee for ships of all sizes. If the Cai Mep-Thi Vai Port terminates the fee reduction after December 31, 2020, ships would choose other ports in the region such as Singapore or Malaysia’s Tanjung Pelepas.
Besides extending the fee reduction for ships with an overall internal volume of 50,000 GT or more, the province also proposed that the Cai Mep-Thi Vai Port offer 60% off on the marine fee for ships below 50,000 GT.
Developed at nearly VND13 trillion, the Cai Mep-Thi Vai port complex was put into service in Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province in 2013. The project was financed by Japan’s official development assistance and Vietnam’s reciprocal capital.
In late October 2020, the Cai Mep International Terminal of the Cai Mep-Thi Vai port complex received Margrethe Maersk, one of the world’s largest container ships. The ship’s port call marked an important milestone in the maritime industry of Vietnam, making the Cai Mep-Thi Vai Port one of the major ports worldwide capable of receiving ultra-large container ships.
