The Vietnam Seaports Association (VPA) was established on January 5th, 1994, under Directive No. 51/KTN issued by the Prime Minister. At the First Congress, 21 delegates representing seaports nationwide convened to discuss and approve the Association’s Charter, consisting of 8 chapters and 26 articles. The Congress also elected a 9-member Executive Committee, with Mr. Tran Van On -General Director of Saigon Port serving as the Chairman of the VPA for the first term. He was subsequently trusted and re-elected with this role for many following terms.
The VPA headquarters is located at the Saigon Port Office Building and the role of Secretary-General has been consistently held by current and former personnel of Saigon Port up to the present day. Notably, the Association’s establishment has played a pivotal role in helping Vietnam’s seaport throughput in 2000 exceed the planned target by 12% (68 million tons), reaching a total of 82 million tons.
The scene of the First Congress – the establishment of the Vietnam Seaports Association at the Saigon Port Hall in 1994.
To date, the Association has experienced 30 years of growth and development and Saigon Port was honored to co-host this year Annual Conference, taking place at the Rex Hotel Conference Center from September 11th -13th. This event was the 30th anniversary of the VPA establishment, marking its developmental progress over the past three decades. On this occasion, the 30-year yearbook, a crystallization of dedication and effort by many contributors, had been timely released and distributed to the delegates as the reference material for the meeting.
The conference had the honor of welcoming city leaders and senior officials, including Mr. Phan Van Mai – Party Central Committee Member, Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee; representatives from relevant agencies, organizations within the maritime community; and various central and local media agencies.
On the VPA side, the conference was chaired by Mr. Le Cong Minh – Chairman and honored to welcome Mr. Tran Van On – the founding Chairman of the VPA, along with Deputy Chairmen and members of the Executive Committee. Representing Saigon Port, the host organization, were Mr. Vo Hoang Giang – Deputy Chairman of the VPA for terms 8 and 9, Former General Director; Mr. Huynh Van Cuong – Chairman of the Board; Mr. Nguyen Le Chon Tam – General Director; and other members of the Saigon Port leadership team.
The scene of the 30th Anniversary Celebration of VPA and Annual Conference 2024.
At the ceremony, Mr. Le Cong Minh – Chairman of the VPA delivered an emotional speech: “We commemorate this founding anniversary with a sense of both joy and responsibility, ensuring that we carefully acknowledge the past, assess the present and set forth a vision for the future growth of the port sector, in alignment with the overarching policies and direction. Today, VPA celebrates its 30th anniversary with an indescribable emotion as we recall all that we have endured to be able to summarize what we need to express.. Throughout the development phases, it has been our unity, driven by common goals, that has accelerated both the progress of our organizations and the nation. This solidarity has brought us closer together, forging enduring bonds. VPA has been fortunate to benefit from early strategic directives from the Party, Government plans, and consistent support from central and local authorities regarding the importance of the Association for the rapid and sustainable development of brands. Together, we hope that Vietnam’s seaport sector will continue to develop rapidly and sustainably, contributing positively to the country’s development.”
Mr. Le Cong Minh – Chairman of the Vietnam Seaport Association delivered the opening speech.
On behalf of the Association’s Executive Committee, Mr. Le Cong Minh expressed deep appreciation and gratitude for the invaluable support and contributions toward the development of Vietnam’s seaports. He emphasized his recognition to the distinguished witnesses, including leaders, government agencies, local authorities, maritime organizations as well as veteran cadres of the seaport sector, particularly Mr. Tran Van On – the founding Chairman of the VPA, along with sponsors and media agencies, whose presence adds to the solemnity and significance of the ceremony. Celebrating 30 years of operation and development, the Association hoped to continue playing a key role in supporting the collective progress of Vietnam’s seaport sector in this new phase.
The conference served as a forum for both opportunities and challenges, where participants exchanged experiences, sought investment collaborations, identified partners in the seaport operations sector and promoted market development towards transparency and fair competition, while addressing issues related to pricing and tariffs. Proposals and recommendations to the Government and relevant authorities were also discussed during this conference. Since its inaugural assembly with 21 founding members held at Saigon Port in 1994, the VPA has marked 30 years of operation and development. As a founding and core member of the VPA Executive Committee, Saigon Port has made significant contributions in supporting and assisting each other in safeguarding economic and political interests while enhancing the standing of Vietnam’s seaports regionally and globally. To date, the Association has grown to include 84 member ports actively operating across the nation.
Mr. Huynh Van Cuong – Chairman of the Board of Saigon Port.
The ceremony also honored distinguished guests who have made significant contributions to the development of the VPA over the past 30 years. Attendees were briefed on future seaports development projects, including Hai Phong Port (construction of berths 3 and 4 of Hai Phong International Gateway Port at Lach Huyen port area), Saigon Port (opportunities to develop Can Gio International Transshipment and Gateway Port), and Saigon New Port (sustainable development, building green ports, smart ports).
Mr. Nguyen Le Chon Tam – General Director of Saigon Port presented the Can Gio International Transshipment and Gateway Port Project.
The Can Gio International Transshipment and Gateway Port Project is a great opportunity, benefiting from the convergence of favorable timing, geography, and human resources not only for the Can Gio – Cai Mep port area but also for the general development strategy of Vietnam’s deep-water transit port.
The conference was honored to listen to and receive guidance of Mr. Phan Van Mai – Member of the Party Central Committee, Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee.
Mr. Phan Van Mai – Member of the Party Central Committee, Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee.
On behalf of the city, Mr. Mai expressed his gratitude and highly appreciated the role of the Association, suggesting the Association and its members to continue contributing ideas in the fields of maritime economy, port operations and logistics to position Ho Chi Minh City as a regional logistics hub and the most dynamic maritime economic center in the country.
On this occasion, Saigon Port allocated a budget of 160 million VND to build two charity houses for two impoverished households in Ho Chi Minh City, while the Association contributed 80 million VND to build one charity house for another underprivileged family, as introduced by the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Ho Chi Minh City. This noble gesture reflected the longstanding cultural tradition of Saigon Port and VPA.
Mr. Le Cong Minh – Chairman of the Vietnam Seaport Association presented the Association’s charity house to the representatives of the Ho Chi Minh City Fatherland Front Committee.
Mr. Huynh Van Cuong – Chairman of the Board of Saigon Port presented charity house to representatives of Ho Chi Minh City Fatherland Front Committee.
In addition, from the source supported by Singaporean company – Stinis, the Association, the leadership of the Ho Chi Minh City Red Cross and parties agreed to donate 100 million VND to support underprivileged communities in Thanh An Commune, Can Gio District. The contributions included 10 scholarships in the form of savings books for disadvantaged students, each valued at 5 million VND, and 10 cash gifts, each worth 5 million VND, for impoverished patients suffering from terminal illnesses.
Stinis Company representatives presented gifts to the Ho Chi Minh City Red Cross Society.
Recently, on September 16th, 2024, the Association decided to allocate 500 million VND to the Ho Chi Minh City Fatherland Front and 100 million VND to the Ho Chi Minh City Red Cross to support the northern provinces in overcoming the damages caused by Typhoon No. 3 (Yagi).
As the 2024 VPA Annual Conference in Ho Chi Minh City concluded, with much still left unsaid, the promise was made to reconvene next year at Hai Phong Port, which has been entrusted by the VPA with hosting the 2025 Annual Conference.
Mr. Nguyen Tuong Anh (left) – General Director of Hai Phong Port received the flag to host the 2025 VPA Annual Conference from Mr. Huynh Van Cuong (right) – Chairman of the Board of Saigon Port.
Saigon Port in particular, and Ho Chi Minh City in general, along with the VPA members, have made significant contributions to the development of seaports and logistics in the Southeastern region and the nation over the past 30 years. The expectation is that this progress will continue to grow even more robustly, reaching a stature befitting both the region and the world.
Le Vuong Doan Tu
Photos: Saigon Port
Translator: Thai Vuong Nhi
