Hanoi plans to have a total of 10 logistics centers, and the city has approved investment plans for six, other three are under research and one is looking for investors, according to Vice Chairman of the Hanoi People’s Committee Nguyen Van Suu.

Overview of the dialouge. Photo: Thanh Hai.

With nearly 300,000 operational enterprises, logistics services play a key role for Hanoi’s development, stated Mr. Suu at a high-level panel dialogue in the Vietnam Logistics Forum 2020 held on November 26.

In Hanoi’s annual investment conferences, the city has always been calling for investments for logistics centers, he added.

In addition to the development of inland container depot (ICD), one of Hanoi’s advantages is a network of major rivers, so that the city is planning to build a network of container ports to boost inland waterway transportation, Mr. Suu informed.

Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Tuan Anh said the ministry and Hanoi’s authorities would continue to cooperate to realize the goal of turning Hanoi into a logistics hub of not only Vietnam but also the region.

As the city is pushing for the development of transport infrastructure, logistics services and innovative startups, Mr. Anh said Hanoi could become an example for other provinces and cities in taking logistics as a driving force for socio-economic development.

Overview of the dialouge. Photo: Thanh Hai.

Staying central in new regional supply chains

To further support the development of logistics companies, Deputy Minister of Finance Vu Thi Mai said customs authorities are applying new technologies to save costs and time for the business community, including the recent deployment of GPS positioning seal system to track all import-export shipments transported by containers.

This latest technology would ensure that 100% of shipments are delivered in a right direction and the right time.

Meanwhile, Deputy Minister of Transport Le Dinh Tho said the Ministry of Transport is cooperating with other provinces and cities in boosting connectivity among different transport modes of road, railway, waterway, and aviation.

Mr. Tho suggested by taking advantage of multi-modal transportation network and IT technology in operation, logistics firms could significantly reduce their costs.

In the 2021–2025 period, the Ministry of Transport would focus on upgrading transport infrastructure to meet growing needs of economic development.

World Bank Vietnam's senior expert Pham Minh Duc said that to be part of a new global supply chain with high resilience, the country should enhance its production capability and strive to become a global hub of production.

In this process, Vietnam should grasp opportunities from the “China plus 1” strategies of multinationals to play a center role in the region’s new supply chains.

The most important factor is that Vietnam should have an attractive business environment, strong production capability and a modern logistics sector.