DECISION

APPROVING THE MASTER PLAN ON DEVELOPMENT OF TRANSPORT IN THE MEKONG RIVER DELTA KEY ECONOMIC REGION THROUGH 2020, WITH ORIENTATIONS TOWARD 2030

THE PRIME MINISTER

Pursuant to the December 25, 2001 Law on Organization of the Government;

At the proposal of the Ministry of Transport (in Report No. 4296/TTr-BGTVT of July 20, 2011) on the master plan on development of transport in the Mekong River delta key economic region through 2020, with orientations toward 2030,

DECIDES:

Article 1. To approve the master plan on development of transport in the Mekong River delta key economic region through 2020, with orientations toward 2030, with the following principal contents:

I. DEVELOPMENT VIEWPOINTS

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2. To base the development of transport in the Mekong River delta key economic region on the region's geographical characteristics to ensure convenient transport among the provinces within the region, to other provinces and with foreign countries.

3. To develop the transport system toward modernity and synchronous connection between different modes of transportation, especially waterway transport; to make intensive investment in important and urgent works which serve as a breakthrough and a driving force for socio-economic development and security and defense maintenance so as to meet the requirement of leading the whole Mekong River delta with Can Tho city as a strategic sea and air transport gateway, attract foreign investment, promote international integration, consolidate security and defense and assure sustainable development.

4. To raise transport quality, reduce traffic accidents, mitigate environmental pollution and efficiently use energy; to step up the application of advanced transport technologies, especially to multimodal transportation and logistics services.

5. To sustainably develop the regional transport network in compatibility and synchrony with the national transport network; to attach importance to developing rural transport and the urban transport network, especially in Can Tho city.

6. To closely combine investment in transport infrastructure facilities with irrigation and flood control facilities to ensure adaptation and effective response to climate change and sea level rise.

7. To diversify domestic and overseas investment sources, encouraging all economic sectors to invest in developing transport infrastructure facilities and transport business.

8. To strongly promote the development of human resources and application of advanced sciences and technologies and enhance international cooperation in transport development in the region.

9. To spare reasonable land areas for transport infrastructure development and enhance safety of traffic corridors; to check and eventually reduce traffic accidents.

II. DEVELOPMENT OBJECTIVES

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a/ Regarding transport:

To satisfy needs for transport of higher and higher quality and with reasonable fare and freight rates, assuring safety and convenience, check and eventually reduce traffic accidents and mitigate environmental pollution on the basis of organizing rational transport and bringing into play the region's advantage in waterway transport; to step by step develop mass transit in urban centers, multimodal transport and logistics services. The specific targets are as follows:

The number of passengers transported will reach 450-500 million/year with an annual average growth rate of 5.1%, of which the region's airport throughput capacity will reach 11.8 million passengers by 2020. The mass transit network in Can Tho city will meet 10-15% of the people's travel demand and 5-10% in other cities.

The cargo volume transported will reach 100-110 million tons/year with an annual average growth rate of 8.1%, of which the seaport cargo throughput will be 58.5% million tons/year by 2020.

b/ Regarding transport infrastructure:

To technically grade the existing system of national highways; to step by step build expressways; to technically grade provincial road systems and build a number of necessary roads; to continue developing rural roads, striving for the target that by 2015, all communes will have motorways to their centers, and river islet communes where road bridges are not available will have ferry landings; 100% of district roads and at least 70% of commune roads will be asphalted or concretized; district roads will reach at least grade-V delta road standards and commune roads, grade-VI delta road standards; all bamboo bridges will be removed.

To study and build a railway from Ho Chi Minh City to My Tho and Can Tho at an appropriate time.

To synchronously develop the system of seaports and seaport fairways; to prioritize investment in major seaports in Can Tho and Phu Quoc areas to meet the transport demand of the region and the whole Mekong River delta.

To renovate, upgrade and complete before technical upgrading internal waterway channels; to upgrade and make in-depth investment in river ports; to build passenger landings for passenger transportation and tourism.

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To step by step develop the urban transport infrastructure and mass transit systems to meet the demand in Can Tho city and other urban centers in the region.

2. Orientations for development through 2030

To meet the people's demand for high-quality, international -standard and fast and safe transport and transport services at appropriate and competitive fare and freight rates; to ensure convenient connection of different modes of transportation, link the provinces and cities within the region, and connect the region to the whole country and the world.

To basically complete and modernize the transport infrastructure network. To continue building other infrastructure facilities as planned.

III. DEVELOPMENT PLANNING

1. Transport development planning

a/ To form 5 major transport corridors:

Ho Chi Minh City - Can Tho - Ca Mau corridor: This is a regional, national and international corridor linking with national general seaports and regional major seaports. In this corridor, cargos will be largely transported by internal waterways, followed by roads. Passengers will be largely transported by roads, followed by internal waterways.

Ho Chi Minh City - Long Xuyen (An Giang) -Rach Gia (Kien Giang) corridor: This is a regional and national corridor. In this corridor, cargos will be largely transported by internal waterways, followed by roads. Passengers will be largely transported by roads, followed by internal waterways.

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Can Tho - Long Xuyen - Chau Doc (An Giang) corridor: This is a regional corridor lying in Can Tho city and An Giang province. In this corridor, cargos and passengers will be largely transported by roads, followed by internal waterways.

Ha Tien - Rach Gia - Ca Mau corridor: This is a regional corridor lying in Kien Giang and Ca Mau provinces. In this corridor, cargos and passengers will be largely transported by roads, followed by internal waterways.

b/ Planning of development of major means of transport in the region:

Roads: To develop road motor vehicles suitable to road infrastructure facilities, types of cargos and passengers and up to technical safety and environmental standards. To step by step reduce the increase of motorcycles and control the increase of private cars in urban centers. By 2020, the whole region will have some 120,000-150,000 automobiles of all kinds, including 60,000-70,000 private cars, 24,000-30,000 passenger cars and 36,000-45,000 trucks.

Internal waterways: To develop a shipping fleet with younger ships (of an average age of 5-7 years) and of a rational structure (tug-push boats accounting for 30-35%; self-propelled ships, 65-70%). By 2020, the annual total tonnage of the whole region's shipping fleet will reach 2.5-3.4 million tons; the annual total passenger-carrying capacity will reach 250,000-300,000 passengers.

2. Planning of transport infrastructure development

a/ Roads

Expressways:

To build My Thuan - Can Tho 4-lane expressway with the starting point at the southern end of My Thuan bridge and ending point at the Can Tho bridge traffic hub, of around 32.3 km in length and grade-A expressway standards.

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- Can Tho - Ca Mau expressway: This expressway will lie within the region and link with the North-South expressway to the east, and have a total length of around 150 km and 4 lanes.

- The western North - South expressway (Ngoc Hoi - Chon Thanh - Rach Gia section): The whole expressway will be 864 km long, including a section of around 72 km running from Vam Cong (An Giang) to Rach Gia (Kien Giang), with 4-6 lanes.

- Chau Doc (An Giang) - Can Tho - Soc Trang expressway: This expressway will be around 200 km long, including a section of around 145 km running from Phong Dien (Can Tho) to Chau Doc town (An Giang), with 4 lanes.

- Ha Tien (Kien Giang) - Rach Gia – Bac Lieu expressway: This expressway will be around 225 km long, including a section of around 145 km running from Ha Tien (Kien Giang) to Go Quao (Kien Giang), with 4 lanes.

Major national highway sections:

- National highway 11: The section running through the region will be 80.9 km long (including 12 km through Can Tho city and 68.9 km through Ca Mau), up to grade-Ill delta road standards, with 2 or 4 lanes in some sub­sections.

- National highway 61: The section running through the region will be 44.3 km long (in Kien Giang) and completely upgraded up to grade-Ill delta road standards with 2 lanes.

- National highway 63: The section from Chau Thanh (Kien Giang) to Ca Mau city will be 114.8 km long and upgraded up to grade-Ill delta road standards with 2 lanes.

- National highway 80: The section running from Can Tho city to Ha Tien (Kien Giang) will be 183 km long, and upgraded and built at least up to grade-Ill delta road standards with 2 lanes.

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- National highway 91B: The section within Can Tho city from the intersection with national highway 91 to the intersection with national highway 1A will be 15.8 km long. To upgrade this section up to urban road standards.

- National highway 91C: The section from the intersection with national highway 91 (kml 17+00) to Long Binh bridge (An Giang) will be 35.5 km long. To upgrade this section up to grade-IV delta road standards with 2 lanes.

- Road Nl: This route will run along the Vietnam- Cambodia borderline, with a section of 106.3 km running through the region (including 65 km in An Giang province and 41.3 km in Kien Giang). To build and upgrade the whole road up to grade-IV delta road standards with 2 lanes.

- Ho Chi Minh Road: The section running from Vam Cong (An Giang) to Dat Mui (Ca Mau) will be 301 km long. To concentrate on upgrading and building a number of new sections and complete the whole section with 2 lanes; to build two Cao Lang and Vam Cong bridges and the section linking these two bridges; to upgrade the section from Rach Gia (Kien Giang) to Vinh Thuan (Ca Mau) and build a new section from Nam Can to Dat Mui (Ca Mau). In the third phase, to complete the whole section and upgrade the section of 72 km from Vam Cong (An Giang) to Rach Gia (Kien Giang) up to expressway standards under the approved master plan and suitable to available capital sources.

- The southern coastal road from Xa Xia border gate (Kien Giang) to Ca Mau city will be 220 km long and built up to grade-Ill delta road standards with 2 lanes on the basis of upgrading a number of sections of national highways 80, 61 and 63, and build new sections and urban byroads.

- Quan Lo - Phung Hiep road: The section running through the region (lying within Ca Mau province) from Lang Tram canal to the intersection with national highway 1A will be 11.5 km long and maintained up to grade-Ill delta road standards with 2 lanes. After 2020, to upgrade this road into a 4-lane expressway.

- The road to the south of Hau river: The section running through the region (in Can Tho city) will be 9.5 km long and maintained up to grade-Ill delta road standards with 2 lanes.

- Can Tho - Vi Thanh road from Can Tho city to Vi Thanh (Hau Giang) will be 47.4 km long (the section running through Can Tho city will be 10.2 km long). In the first phase, it will be a grade-Ill delta road with 2 lanes. In the second phase, it will be upgraded to 4 lanes.

b/ Railways

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c/ Seaways Seaports:

- Can Tho seaport (Can Tho city) is a national general and regional major seaport (grade I). By 2020, its annual capacity will be 11.5-13.5 million tons. It will consist of the following functions areas:

+ Cai Cui major wharf area: This area will mainly handle general cargos for ships of 10,000-20,000 DWT, including special-use wharves for riverside industrial and service establishments.

+ Hoang Dieu and Binh Thuy general port areas: To maintain the size of the existing general ports; to rearrange, renovate and relocate special-use wharves; to accommodate ships of up to 10,000 DWT.

+ Tra Noc and O Mon special-use wharf areas: To locate general wharves to support the Hoang Dieu wharf area and serve industrial parks; to accommodate ships of 5,000-10,000 DWT.

- Special-use ports for coal imported for thermo-power plants: These include key ports for offshore transshipment for ships of 100,000 - 200,000 DWT and wharves at these plants for small vessels with a total annual capacity of 45 million tons by 2020, including:

+ The eastern area of the Mekong River delta: This will serve as a major port area for receiving coal in Hau river estuary (in Tra Vinh and Soc Trang provinces).

+ The western area of the Mekong River delta: This will serve as a major port area for transshipping coal in Nam Du islands and wharves of plants in Kien Luong (Kien Giang).

- Potential ports for large-tonnage seagoing ships beyond Hau river estuary: To continue studying and building ports for large-tonnage seagoing ships (beyond the upgraded and renovated capacity of river estuary fairways). The expected locations of these ports will be offshore Soc Trang province for convenient cargo transportation from/to localities in Ca Mau peninsula.

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Port access fairways:

- Access fairways to Can Tho port and ports on Hau river for ships of 10,000-20,000 DWT (through Quan Chanh Bo canal), and for ships of 3,000-5,000 DWT (through Dinh An estuary).

d/ Internal waterways River shipping routes:

- Ho Chi Minh City - Ca Mau route (coastal route): The route section of 16 km through the region will attain grade-Ill internal waterway technical standards.

- Ho Chi Minh City - Ca Mau route (through Xa No canal): The route section of 167 km through the region will be maintained up to grade-III internal waterway technical standards.

- Ho Chi Minh City - Kien Luong route (through Lap Vo canal): The route section of 130 km through the region will be maintained up to grade-Ill internal waterway technical standards.

- Ho Chi Minh City - Kien Luong route (through Dong Thap Muoi canal): The route section of 107 km through the region will attain grade-Ill internal waterway technical standards.

- Moc Hoa - Ha Tien route: The route section of 105 km through the region will be upgraded and renovated up to grade-IV internal waterway technical standards.

- Cua Tieu - Cambodia border route: The route section of 73 km through the region will be maintained up to grade-I internal waterway technical standards.

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- Rach Gia - Ca Mau route (Ong Doc river estuary): This route will be 158 km long and upgraded and renovated up to grade-Ill internal waterway technical standards.

- Quan Lo - Phung Hiep intra-regional connection route: The route section of 12 km through the region will be upgraded and renovated up to grade-IV internal waterway technical standards.

Internal waterway ports:

To build new and upgrade a number of existing river ports, including Tan Chau and Binh Long (An Giang), Tac Cau (Kien Giang), and Ong Doc river (Ca Mau), with Tan Chau port for ships of 500-2,000 DWT and concurrently serving as a major port for internal waterway vessels carrying goods traded with Cambodia.

e/ Airways:

Can Tho international airport: To continue upgrading and expanding passenger service facilities up to grade 4E according to ICAO standards and a grade-II military airfield so as to receive 5 million passengers and handle 400,000-500,000 tons of cargo a year.

Phu Quoc international airport: To prioritize development of Phu Quoc international airport in Duong To into an airport of a regional and national tourist and trading center which can accommodate Boeing 747 airplanes or the like and receive 6 million passengers and handle 300,000 tons of cargo a year.

Ca Mau airport: To upgrade and raise the capacity of the existing airport up to grade 3C according to ICAO standards so as to receive 300,000 passengers and handle 1,000 tons of cargo a year.

Rach Gia airport: To upgrade and raise the capacity of the existing airport up to grade 4C according to ICAO standards so as to receive 300,000 passengers and handle 2,000 tons of cargo a year.

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f/ Urban and local transport

To develop urban and local transport under approved master plans of the provinces and cities in the region.

The localities shall coordinate with one another in building a number of local roads for inter-provincial connection under the master plan (see details in the attached appendix).

To make in-depth investment in upgrading existing locally managed internal waterway ports and landings for ships of 500-1,000 DWT; to build and upgrade a number of ports for passenger ships of 100-250 seats.

3. Works prioritized for investment

Works prioritized for investment are those which help synchronize the transport infrastructure network, serve as a driving force for development of the Mekong River delta key economic region and need to be invested during 2011-2015 (see details in the attached appendix).

4. Land area planned for transport development

The land area planned for the national transport infrastructure system in the Mekong River delta key economic region, including roads, railways, airports, seaports, river ports, stations, car terminals, landings and storing yards (excluding those for urban and local transport), by 2020 will be around 696.64 km2, accounting for 4.21 % of the region's total area, an increase of 0.89% over the current area.

IV. MAJOR SOLUTIONS AND POLICIES

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- To create a fair business environment, encouraging all economic sectors to conduct transport business and provide transport services; to renovate vehicles and vessels, transport service technologies and equipment, and prioritize the development of container and multimodal transportation and logistics services for rationally regulating different modes of transportation.

- To rationally organize major transport service providers in close association with transport corridors linked with the southern key economic region and the region.

- To adopt policies to support and step by step develop the urban mass transit network and concurrently control the increase of private vehicles.

2. Transport infrastructure development solutions and policies

- To effectively operate transport works in localities in the region at full capacity, provided the building and upgrading thereof comply with specialized and regional master plans, thus avoiding sectionalism-induced investment waste.

- To enhance the direction by the central government and coordination among localities in order to make a big stride in transport infrastructure investment in the direction that, during 2011-2015, priority will be given to breakthrough works which can create regional connection and harmonize different modes of transportation so as to promote the effectiveness of the whole system and each mode of transportation.

- To promote internal strengths and create favorable conditions for attracting investment in different forms from all economic sectors for building and upgrading transport infrastructure facilities.

- To continue attracting official development assistance (ODA) in diverse forms from foreign countries and international financial institutions.

- The provinces and cities in the region may auction land use rights to raise development investment capital for their transport infrastructure.

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- To further manage the transport infrastructure system maintenance with adequate funding.

3. Traffic safety assurance solutions and policies

- To improve the legal system and strengthen traffic safety management organizations from the central to local levels for sustainable assurance of traffic order and safety. To decentralize more power to local administrations in the management, patrol, control and handling of traffic order and safety violations.

- To enhance and improve the effectiveness of the public information and dissemination of and education about the law on traffic order and safety in combination with enforcement activities.

- The development of the transport infrastructure system must ensure safety corridors and be subject to traffic safety assessment and combined with the building of traffic hubs and civil-use culverts and elimination of black spots along transport routes.

- To raise the quality of training, testing and management of vehicle and vessel operators and quality of inspection of motor vehicles and vessels.

- To increase rescue and salvation work in order to mitigate damage caused by traffic accidents.

4. Environmental protection solutions and policies

- To improve standards, guiding documents and regulations on environmental protection in the transport sector. To intensify the public information and dissemination of and education about the law on environmental protection and the enforcement of this law.

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- Traffic works and means of transport must be up to technical standards and of quality meeting environmental protection requirements.

Article 2. Organization of implementation

1. The Ministry of Transport shall assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with other ministries and sectors and People's Committees of provinces and centrally run cities in the region in, organizing the management and implementation of the master plan. In the course of implementation, it shall study and consider making timely adjustments and supplementa­tions to the master plan to meet practical requirements.

2. To assign ministries, sectors and provinces and centrally run cities in the region to review and adjust their master plans in line with this master plan, and concurrently coordinate with the Ministry of Transport, other ministries, sectors and localities in the course of implementation of this master plan, ensuring that it will be implemented in a comprehensive manner and help create an interconnected transport system, with a view to improving the capacity and effectiveness of the whole transport network.

Article 3. This Decision takes effect on March 30, 2012.

Article 4. Ministers, heads of ministerial-level agencies, heads of government-attached agencies, and chairpersons of provincial-level People's Committees shall implement this Decision.

PRIME MINISTER




Nguyen Tan Dung

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APPENDIX

LIST OF PRIORITIZED WORKS/PROJECTS IN THE MEKONG RIVER DELTA KEY ECONOMIC REGION
(To the Prune Minister's Decision No. 11/2012/QD-TTg of February 10, 2012)

No.

Name of work/project

Scale

I

ROADS

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1

Building My Thuan - Can Tho expressway

4 lanes

2

Upgrading national highway 91 (Can Tho - Lo Te section)

Grade-Ill road, 2 lanes

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Upgrading national highway 61 (Cai Tu - Go Quao section)

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4

Upgrading national highway 63 (section running through Cau Mau and Kien Giang provinces)

Grade-Ill road, 2 lanes

5

Building road Nl (Hong Ngu - Chau Doc and Chau Doc - Tinh Bien sections)

Grade-IV road, 2 lanes

6

The southern coastal road (from Xa Xia border gate, Kien Giang, to national highway 1, Ca Mau city)

Grade-Ill road, 2 lanes

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Building Lo Te - Rach Soi road

Grade-III road, 2 lanes

8

Building new Vam Cong bridge

9

Building new Nam Can bridge

10

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Intra-regional roads

1

Long Xuyen (An Giang) - Tri Ton - Vam Ray (Kien Giang)road

Grade-IV delta road, 2 lanes

2

Nl - Tri Ton - Nui Sap - Co Do - Mot Ngan - national highway 1 road

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3

Ha Tien - Vi Thanh road

Grade-IV delta road, 2 lanes

4

Khanh Binh (An Giang) - Cho Moi - Lap Vo (Dong Thap)road

Grade-IV delta road, 2 lanes

5

Ganh Hao (Bac Lieu) - Dam Doi - Nam Can - Dat Mui (Ca Mau) road

Grade-IV delta road, 2 lanes

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An Minh (Ca Mau) - U Minh - Tran Van Thoi - Nam Can (Ca Mau) road

Grade-IV delta road, 2 lanes

II

SEAWAYS

1

Seaports

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20,000 DWT

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Upgrading My Thoi port (An Giang)

10,000 DWT

Building An Thoi port (Phu Quoc, Kien Giang)

2,000-3,000 DWT, 30,000 DWT for transshipment, and for passenger ships of 80,000-100,000 GRT

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Building Duong Dong port (Kien Giang)

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Building Ca Mau port

5,000 DWT

2

Port access fairways

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Port access fairway on Hau river (through Quan Chanh Bo canal)

20,000 DWT (for lightened ships)

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Cua Lon river fairway through Bo De estuary

50,000 DWT (for lightened ships)

III

INTERNAL WATERWAYS

1

Internal waterway routes

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Grade-Ill technical standards

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Ho Chi Minh City - Kien Luong route (through Thap Muoi canal No. 1)

Grade-Ill technical standards

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Rach Gia - Ca Mau route

Grade-Ill technical standards

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Moc Hoa - Ha Tien route

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Quan Lo - Phung Hiep route

Grade-IV technical standards

2

Internal waterway ports

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Tan Chau port. An Giang

2,000 tons

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Binh Long port, An Giang

1,000 tons

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Tac Cau port, Kien Giang

1,000 tons

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Ong Doc port. Ca Mau

1,000 tons

IV

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1

Ca Mau airport

300,000 passengers/year

2

Rach Gia airport

300,000 passengers/year

3

Duong To airport (Phu Quoc)

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