Vietnam will boost the development of seaports to meet the increasing demand for cargo handling and transport in the future

Seven companies from Singapore, during their visit to HCMC, said their top interest for future investment in the city is port and housing development. The 14-member business mission represents Temasek Holding Ltd., DBS Bank, Keppel Land International, Neptune Orient Lines, Singapore Technologies Telemedia, Surbana International and The Ascott Group.

It makes pre-tax profit of RM8.7m, its first in 5 years since it started out PORT of Tanjung Pelepas (PTP) in Johor has reported maiden profits, more than five years after it started operations to capture business from Singapore's ports.

Prime Minister Phan Van Khai has approved the project to develop the Cai Mep-Thi Vai International Port in Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province.

The Government has approved he construction of an international terminal in Danang Airport, which will start this quarter.

Construction began on Pier 2 of Nghi Son Port in Nghi Son village, Tinh Gia district of the central coastal province of Thanh Hoa on April 19.

A US$126 million, 28-month-long plan to dredge access channels and extend a container terminal at Hai Phong port began last Saturday. "Access channels leading to the port would be dredged to accommodate 50,000-tonne vessels and the container terminal's berth will be extended from 150 to 500m," the port's Deputy Director Truong Van Thai said.

The first privately-owned port in Vietnam has been opened in Binh Duong Province, offering several advantages to businesses

The Prime Minister issued Decision 723/QD-TTg in July 1999, approving the Tien Sa Port expansion project in Danang for the 1999-2000 phase with total investment capital of VND1,500 billion ($96 million) from ODA loans through the Japan Bank for International Cooperation and counterpart capital from the Vietnamese state budget.

The Nha Trang Port Authority now operates eight ports and a ship-to-ship (STS) oil transport terminal, up from three ports (Nha Trang, Ba Ngoi, and Hon Khoi ports) in 1990.