Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee delegation inspected the location of Can Gio International Transit Port and key projects on Soai Rap River.

On September 20, 2025, the working delegation of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee led by Comrade Dang Minh Thong - Deputy Secretary of the City Party Committee, conducted a field survey and worked with Saigon Port on two key projects: Can Gio International Transit Port Project and the operational situation at Saigon - Hiep Phuoc Port.

The delegation included senior leaders from the Ho Chi Minh City Command, the Ho Chi Minh City Border Guard, the Ho Chi Minh City Maritime Port Authority, and representatives from the Department of Construction; the Department of Agriculture and Environment, and the Management Board of Export Processing and Industrial Zones of Ho Chi Minh City. On the side of Saigon Port Joint Stock Company (Saigon Port), there was the participation of Mr. Huynh Van Cuong - Chairman of the Board of Directors and Mr. Nguyen Le Chon Tam - General Director, and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Saigon - Hiep Phuoc Port.

Comrade Dang Minh Thong - Deputy Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee (blue shirt in the middle), Mr. Huynh Van Cuong - Chairman of the Board of Directors of Saigon Port (left cover), Mr. Nguyen Le Chon Tam - General Director of Saigon Port, concurrently Chairman of the Board of Directors of Saigon - Hiep Phuoc Port (second from the left)

The first stop of the delegation was Thanh An commune - Can Gio, where the Can Gio International Transit Port Project is expected to be implemented.

At the meeting, the leaders of Saigon Port presented a comprehensive report, emphasizing the strategic importance of the project. Accordingly, the project is not only a large-scale seaport project but also an important driving force to turn Ho Chi Minh City into an international maritime transit center. The project will help restructure the city's seaport system, reduce the load on inner-city ports and enhance the position of the Southern key economic region on the global maritime map.

Reports confirm that the project not only brings outstanding economic benefits, but also combines with the port cluster in Ba Ria - Vung Tau to create a counterweight to major transit centers in the region such as Singapore and Malaysia. The location of Thanh An commune is considered optimal, with suitable waterways and land fund, ensuring multi-modal connectivity (waterway, road) and effectively exploiting the coastal advantages of Ho Chi Minh City.

Saigon Port Management Board reported to Comrade Dang Minh Thong - Deputy Secretary of the City Party Committee about the location and strategic importance of the project.

In particular, the commitment of the international partner MSC/TIL – one of the world’s leading shipping groups – has strengthened the feasibility and international stature of the project. This cooperation is expected to shift part of the transshipment volume from Malaysian ports and reduce dependence on Singapore, making Vietnam a new transshipment hub in Southeast Asia.

In the afternoon of the same day, the working group surveyed Soai Rap channel and the actual operation situation at Saigon - Hiep Phuoc Port.

Here, Mr. Nguyen Le Chon Tam - General Director of Saigon Port, pointed out the major challenges that Saigon - Hiep Phuoc Port is facing. Specifically, the road traffic system connecting the Port is seriously degraded, has not been repaired and maintained in a timely manner, affecting exploitation activities. In addition, the Soai Rap channel has not been dredged to standards, limiting the ability to receive large ships, not commensurate with the potential of the area.

Mr. Nguyen Le Chon Tam - General Director of Saigon Port, concurrently Chairman of the Board of Directors of Saigon - Hiep Phuoc Port reported on the operations of Saigon - Hiep Phuoc Port and the difficulties and challenges that the Port is facing.

To address these issues, Saigon Port has made two important recommendations:

Propose a mechanism to use revenue from seaport infrastructure fees for maintenance and repair of connecting roads.

Prioritize resource allocation or have a coordination mechanism to dredge Soai Rap channel, to increase the capacity to receive large tonnage ships and enhance the port's competitiveness.

On the side of the City Party Committee working delegation, we evaluated the reports and recommendations of the Saigon Port Leaders and at the same time took note and will synthesize these contents to report to the Standing Committee of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee.

At the end of the working session, Comrade Dang Minh Thong - Deputy Secretary of the City Party Committee emphasized the need to study and direct comprehensive solutions to speed up the progress of the Can Gio International Transit Port project and consider using seaport infrastructure fees to reinvest in the traffic system in Hiep Phuoc area, and at the same time direct functional agencies and localities to coordinate closely to resolve the backlog, especially the problem of slow handover, maintenance, repair of D3 road to remove infrastructure difficulties at Saigon - Hiep Phuoc Port.

This is considered a drastic step by Ho Chi Minh City to remove infrastructure bottlenecks, create strong momentum for the development of the seaport industry, and contribute to improving the economic position of the City and the Southern region.

Article: Chuong Pham