Minister Dao Dinh Binh said the plan had been cho­sen after a meeting in HCMC on Saturday for finding the best solution to increase the transport capacity of the Mekong River system and improve the throughput of Can Tho Port and other ports in the Mekong Delta.

Binh said digging a new canal connected to the Quan Chanh Bo Canal, which flows to the Eastern Sea from Tra Vinh Province, would create an access channel for large ships to enter the Hau River and regional ports.

The plan to build a new access channel, proposed by a group of experts from four consultant companies, will required a total capital of US$ 150million and four years for construction.

The study team, compris­ing the Canadian SNS-Lavalin International, the Dutch Royal Haskoning Delft Hydraulics, Delft Hydraulics and the Viet­namese Port Coast, said that the Mekong Deltas export growth is hindered by a silt build-up in its major water way of Dinh An, making the canal inaccessible to large ships.

The Mekong Delta pro­duces up to seven million tons of commercial goods each year, but its ports can only handle about one-fifth of this freight since the shal­low Dinh An waterway is the only artery linking the ports with the sea.

The constant build-up of sand in the Dinh An Canal blocks ships larger than 5 , 000D WT entering Can Tho Portand other ports upstream.

Dredging the canal is only a temporary solution to the problem as silt deposits build up quickly.

All delegates at the meet­ing agreed with the proposal to build a new waterway connecting to the Quan Chanh Bo Canal to replace the Dinh An passage.

Minister Dao Dinh Binh said that the transport ministry would submit the feasibility study to the Prime Minister soon. Binh expected the project to be started next year for commissioning in 2010.

According to the plan, the shortcut canal will extend 10km. Two dykes, with a total length of 3.5 kilometers, will be built to prevent sand from encroaching.

Experts said the benefits of the project would be multiple, since the better transport ca­pacity will help the Mekong Delta draw more manufactur­ing companies in various in­dustries to set up shop there.

The feasibility study, which costs up to USS1 million, has been funded by the World Banks non-refundable aid.

The Government in a recent meeting in Can Tho has pledged support for the Mekong Delta to improve its waterway infrastructure to stimulate trading activities in the region.