Ho Chi Minh City: Despite dramatic improvements in ports in the Mekong Delta, ancillary infrastructure shortfalls are hampering supply chains.
A good example is Cai Cui port, a project where hundreds of billions of dong were lavished to ensure the port could handle ships of up to 200,000 dwt.
However, now it is operating at only 10-20% of its capacity because the waterway leading to the port has not been dredged enough. About VND1trn ($47.82m) has been spent to dredge and broaden the Quan Chanh Bo Canal so that larger vessels can reach ports on the Hau River including Cai Cui. However the project is still in need of another VND1.8trn to get it finished.
Cai Cui would serve as a very valuable bulk terminal for shippers in the region, who currently have to shift their cargoes via Ho Chi Minh City. [06/05/13]
