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Goods pile up at backlogged port
A large number of packages are being held up at Sai Gon Port waiting to be unloaded as a result of the steadily increasing number of imports and the limited capacity of the port.
On Monday, 29 vessels were unloading goods and 13 were waiting to unload at the port, which can handle only 25 vessels at a time, according to port authorities.
In mid-April, 50 vessels were docked at the port to unload goods.
Le Cong Minh, general director of the Sai Gon Port, said the major reason for the pile-up was an unexpected increase of imports, mostly in packages.
Minh said non-containerised goods, mostly cassava, sand and animal feed, needed specialised facilities and more porters to unload the goods.
He said the port had improved its management of handling cargo, but prolonged discharge of vessels at the port remained a problem.
More workers have been hired and more facilities put into place.
The port has given priority to passenger vessels, military vessels, liners and vessels that have long-term contracts with the port.
In an effort to be more transparent, the port has also publicly announced the order of vessels to be unloaded.
Sai Gon Port authorities have also urged vessel owners and importers whose goods are still waiting to be unloaded to connect with other ports, including Ben Nghe, Rau Qua, Tan Thuan Dong, Dong Nai and Long Thanh.
In the first four months of the year, Sai Gon Port handled more than 6.3 million tonnes of goods, up 43 per cent compared to the same period last year, according to port authorities.
vietnamnews
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