Cross-border logistics – Economic growth momentum in the Central region

(Chinhphu.vn) - On August 22, in Hue City, the Vietnam Federation of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) coordinated with the Hue City People's Committee to organize a regional forum with the theme "Cross-border logistics - Growth momentum of the North Central and Central Coast regions".

Mr. Nguyen Sinh Nhat Tan, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade , speaking at the forum - Photo: VGP/Nhat Anh

Speaking at the forum, Mr. Nguyen Sinh Nhat Tan, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade, said that the North Central and Central Coast regions possess a special geographical location that is rare elsewhere. Located in the middle of the country, this is the connecting section between the two largest growth poles of the country - the North and the South - through the national highway, railway, sea and air routes. At the same time, it is an important bridge in international economic exchange, a transit point for goods with the Central Highlands provinces and the most convenient gateway to the sea for localities in the Southern Laos, Northeast Thailand and Northeast Cambodia through the East-West economic corridor.

This location has made the North Central and Central Coast regions a "convergence point" for goods, from raw materials, agricultural products, minerals to processed and manufactured industrial goods... not only serving the domestic market but also exporting and importing to neighboring economies and beyond. Cross-border logistics is therefore a "strategic lever" to open up and increase the value of the entire regional supply chain.

In the Regional Development Plan for the period 2021-2030, the North Central and Central Coast regions are identified as the driving force, leading the country in marine economy. Taking advantage of the system of seaports, international border gates, airports and the East-West economic corridor, this region is oriented to become a logistics hub connecting both the North-South and East-West, contributing over 6% of the national logistics industry revenue by 2050.

According to the Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade: "Despite the great potential, we must also look directly at the existing limitations that have prevented logistics in this region from developing to its full potential. The logistics infrastructure in the Central region still lacks synchronization; the connection between seaports - railways - roads - airlines, although being invested in strongly, has not yet been brought into full play, causing transportation costs to be higher than the regional average. There are very few modern logistics centers with multimodal connectivity.

In addition, specific policy mechanisms to attract large-scale logistics infrastructure investment are still limited. Many small and medium-sized logistics enterprises do not have enough resources to apply advanced management technology, leading to low productivity and difficulty in competing. Training, developing and attracting high-quality human resources to provide logistics services in this region are also limited."

"The forum "Cross-border logistics - Growth momentum of the North Central and Central Coastal regions" is a topic that is both strategic and has profound practical value. Because cross-border logistics is not only a technical term, but also a development method. If we exploit geographical advantages well, invest in synchronous infrastructure, reform procedures and expand international cooperation, the Central region will not only become a "transit station" of Vietnam, but also a "strategic link" in the regional and global supply chain", the Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade acknowledged.

Experts and business representatives discuss logistics service development - Photo: VGP/Nhat Anh

Mr. Hoang Quang Phong, Vice President of the Vietnam Federation of Commerce and Industry, said that in the current context, logistics services play an increasingly important role, making practical contributions to the country's development and integration, and participating in solving global issues. Developing the logistics industry must also follow new trends such as digital transformation, green transformation, circular economy development, sharing economy, etc.

According to the Vice President of the Vietnam Federation of Commerce and Industry, Hue City in particular and the North Central and Central Coastal Regions in general are strategically located at the crossroads of the North-South and East-West transport corridors. This region possesses deep-water seaports, a network of new airports and a railway system. Therefore, it has great potential to become a national and regional logistics center, connecting the North-South Economic Corridor, the East-West Economic Corridor of Vietnam and the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS).

Speaking at the event, Chairman of Hue City People's Committee Nguyen Van Phuong said that according to the development orientation until 2030, Hue City will become a major center of Southeast Asia in terms of culture, tourism, specialized healthcare, and at the same time a national center for education, science - technology and marine economy. In that strategy, logistics is identified as a development pillar, aiming to build a Green Logistics Center of the North Central and Central Coast regions. To unlock resources and promote potential strengths, Hue will grow based on digital transformation and green economy; focus on key and modern industries, and develop the integration between logistics and product value chains, in order to improve competitiveness and operational efficiency.

"The presence of modern logistics is considered a strategic factor to enhance competitiveness, promote sustainable supply chains and inter-regional connectivity. With its location as the gateway to the Central region, Hue has a synchronous transport infrastructure network: Road, sea, rail and air. Chan May Port will be developed into a transit port and international logistics system; Chan May - Lang Co Economic Zone will become a multimodal transport transit center, expanding the international market by sea. Together with a dynamic business force, Hue is confident in the opportunity to break through and become a logistics center of the region and the whole country", affirmed the Chairman of the People's Committee of Hue City.

Chan May port area, Hue city - Photo: VGP/Nhat Anh

Attending the forum, experts, speakers, representatives of typical enterprises and localities focused on sharing and exchanging to give independent and multi-dimensional assessments on the orientation and potential of logistics development in the Region; identify bottlenecks and remove difficulties for logistics enterprises in the area; exchange and propose solutions to promote the development of the logistics industry in Hue City in particular and the North Central and Central Coastal Regions in general in the coming time.

Nhat Anh

Source: https://baochinhphu.vn/logistics-xuyen-bien-gioi-suc-bat-tang-truong-kinh-te-khu-vuc-mien-trung-102250822145613655.htm