Decision 21/2022/QD-TTg policies to encourage the development of inland waterway navigation and transportation

DECISION
Regarding mechanisms and policies to encourage the development of inland waterway navigation and transportation

Pursuant to the Law on Organization of the Government dated June 19, 2015; Law on Amending and Supplementing a Number of Articles of the Law on Organization of the Government and the Law on Organization of Local Administration dated November 22, 2019;

Pursuant to the Law on Inland Waterway Navigation dated June 15, 2004; Law on Amending and Supplementing a Number of Articles of the Law on Inland Waterway Navigation dated June 17, 2014;

Pursuant to the Law on Investment dated June 17, 2020;

Pursuant to the Law on Public Investment dated June 13, 2019;

Pursuant to the Law on the State Budget dated June 25, 2015;

At the proposal of the Minister of Transport;

The Prime Minister promulgates the Decision on regarding mechanisms and policies to encourage the development of inland waterway navigation and transportation.

Article 1. Scope of regulation

This Decision defines mechanisms and policies to encourage the development of inland waterway navigation and transportation in Vietnam.

Article 2. Subjects of application

This Decision applies to agencies, organizations and individuals related to the inland waterway navigation and transportation activities nationwide.

Article 3. Mechanisms and policies to encourage the development of inland waterway navigation and transportation

1. Investment in development of inland waterway navigation

a) Allow to access to ODA and foreign concessional loans of the Government to invest in development of inland waterway infrastructure in order to conveniently and effectively connect to other modes of transport, especially seaport system;

b) Prioritize the allocation of capital to invest in development of inland waterway infrastructure to renovate and upgrade inland waterway channels on main transport routes according to the planning on inland waterway infrastructure for the 2021 - 2030 period, with a vision toward 2050;

c) People’s Committees of provinces and centrally-run cities shall review and plan cross-river passenger landing stages in areas with difficult socio-economic conditions and have no conditions for development and investment in other modes of transport in the planning of the localities, ensuring that the investment in such landing stages is in accordance with Clause 2 Article 12 of the 2020 Law on Public Investment, in case of investment with the local budget.

2. Management and maintenance of inland waterway infrastructure

Allocate the economic non-business capital for the maintenance of inland waterway infrastructure according to the plan approved by the competent authority and the ability to mobilize resources, ensuring the satisfaction of requirements of the following year that is higher than the one of the previous year, by 2030, strive to fully met the capital needs according to the plan approved by the competent state management agency.

3. Application of information technology

a) Prioritize the allocation of the funding for investment in development of the state budget for the implementation of projects of information technology application for activities in the inland waterway field;

b) Use the funding for current expenditures from the state budget to manage, operate and maintain information technology system at service of inland waterway-related activities after the investment, including: Database, software, hardware.

Article 4. Organization of implementation

1. The Ministry of Transport shall

a) Assume the prime responsibility for the implementation and assessment of the implementation of this Decision on an annual basis and make a review after 5 years;

b) Coordinate with the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Planning and Investment in allocating the budget capital for the implementation of mechanisms and policies on development of inland waterway navigation and transportation specified in this Decision;

c) Coordinate with the Ministry of Finance in guiding the implementation of mechanisms and policies on development of inland waterway navigation and transportation specified in this Decision;

d) Prioritize the allocation of public investment capital for the development of inland waterway transport infrastructure according to the medium-term public investment plan approved by the competent authority.

2. The Ministry of Finance shall

Assume the prime responsibility for, and arrange the non-business funding for the maintenance of inland waterways within the annual central budget’s spending tasks as prescribed in this Decision.

3. The Ministry of Planning and Investment shall

a) Assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with the Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Finance in, performing mechanisms and policies on development of inland waterway navigation and transportation specified in this Decision;

b) Assume the prime responsibility for, and allocate the development investment capital for investment in the inland waterway infrastructure in accordance with the Law on Public Investment and the Law on the State Budget.

4. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment shall

Guide the allocation of land and water surface funds for projects of investment in construction of inland waterway ports in land use master plans and plans.

5. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development shall

Study and guide localities to promulgate specific regulations on conditions for investment and construction of inland waterway navigation infrastructure, establishments building, transforming and repairing inland waterway vessels outside dikes, for their effective work in the rainy season.

6. The Ministry of Information and Communications shall

Coordinate with the Ministry of Transport in information and communications work to encourage the investment in inland waterway infrastructure, build inland waterway vessels, equip cargo loading and unloading equipment, promoting the development of inland waterway transportation.

7. People's Committees of provinces and centrally-run cities shall

a) Coordinate with the Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment in allocating the land and water surface funds for projects of investment in construction of establishments building and repairing inland waterway vessels and inland waterway ports in land use master plans and plans of localities;

b) Assume the prime responsibility for, and allocate the local budgets for, the development of inland waterway navigation under their respective management;

c) Prioritize the allocation of land for construction of inland waterway ports for container handling in the North and the Mekong Delta.

Article 5. Effect

1. This Decision takes effect on December 25, 2022.

2. To repeal the Prime Minister’s Decision No. 47/2015/QD-TTg dated October 05, 2015 regarding mechanisms and policies to encourage the development of inland waterway navigation and transportation.

Article 6. Implementation responsibility

Ministers, Heads of ministerial-level agencies, Heads of government-attached agencies and Chairpersons of People’s Committees of provinces and centrally-run cities shall take responsibility for the implementation of this Decision.