Great efforts should be made to develop Da Nang into a major logistics hub in Central Viet Nam and on the East-West Economic Corridor (EWEC).

The meeting in progress

That was the proposal made by the Transport Development and Strategy Institute under the Ministry of Transport at its Tuesday meeting in Da Nang to review a project on developing logistics services in the city to effectively connect with central region's key economic zone and EWEC during the 2021-2030 period, with a vision to 2045.

Addressing the meeting, municipal People’s Committee Vice Chairman Tran Phuoc Son suggested all-level sectors and branches take drastic solutions to handle existing difficulties and obstacles to soon put the project into practice.

The focus should be on fully tapping the city’s advantages of geographical location and transport infrastructure to promote the development of logistics in a bid to deserve a logistics hub in Central Viet Nam and Central Highlands regions, and a gateway for the EWEC, with the potential to become part of a global production and supply chain connecting the Pacific and Indian Ocean regions, added he.

According to the Transport Development and Strategy Institute - the project’s consulting unit, thanks to its favourable geographical position of being located on one of the key sea routes and international air networks and one of the main gateways to the sea of the EWEC, Da Nang has the great potential for becoming a marine economic and logistics hubs in Central Viet Nam’s key economic zone, the country and the world as a whole.

Therefore, the unit highlighted the significance of the project in helping Da Nang maximise the advantages of its strategic location as well as strengthen connectivity so as to make Da Nang a logistics hub in Southeast Asia.

The consulting unit presenting the project. Photo: THANH LAN

Additionally, the consulting unit also pointed out some inadequacies and difficulties in infrastructure and logistics operations in the city, thereby giving viewpoints and goals of developing a logistics service system, and planning options and criteria for establishing logistics centres, in the city.

The consulting unit also suggested that, in addition to the implementation of solutions, mechanisms and policies, Da Nang should ask for strong direction from the Prime Minister and the drastic participation of relevant ministries, branches and localities nationwide, to carry out the project as soon as possible.

Also at the meeting, Da Nang leaders asked the Prime Minister to consider and direct the Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of Industry and Trade, and the authorities of Quang Tri, Thua Thien Hue and Quang Nam provinces to implement a number of relevant contents.

Included were accelerating the construction progress of the Cam Lo - Lao Bao expressway during the 2021-2025 period to form an expressway directly connecting soon-to-be-built Lien Chieu Port with the EWEC through the Lao Bao border gate, conducting research on new investment projects, and upgrading and connecting roads (National Highways 14B and 14D) with border gates (La Lay and Nam Giang border gates) to expand the attractive scope of seaports in the region.

During the working session, departments, agencies, business associations, and logistics enterprises presented their project-related suggestions and recommendations.

Reporting by THANH LAN - Translating by M.DUNG