The Office of the HCMC People’s Committee yesterday announced that it had submitted a report to the Standing Committee of the HCMC People’s Council on the collection of fees for the use of infrastructure works and public utility services in seaport areas from April 1, 2022 to October 31, 2025, while also outlining a number of difficulties and proposing adjustment solutions for the coming period.
Total revenue reached approximately VND7.961 trillion, providing an important resource for investment in transport infrastructure connecting seaports. Specifically, revenue in 2022 was VND1,862.45 billion, achieving 94.6 percent of the plan while it was VND2,036.22 billion in 2023, achieving 101.8 percent and VND2,151.24 billion, achieving 102.43 percent of the number in 2024. As per statistics, from January 1 to October 31, 2025, the city collected VND1,911.16 billion, achieving 88.89 percent. Outstanding fee arrears after three years stand at around VND108.5 billion.
According to the municipal People’s Committee, the collection results have generally met and exceeded annual targets, creating a sustainable funding source for investing in transport infrastructure linking seaports. However, a certain level of fee arrears remains and is still being reviewed for recovery.
Due to difficulties in contacting cargo owners, the city has temporarily assigned Container Freight Station (CFS) warehouse operators and bonded warehouse companies to assist in collecting and remitting the fees. The HCMC People’s Committee has proposed adding this group to the relevant resolution to ensure a legal basis.
In addition, the current fee level for temporarily imported and re-exported goods does not distinguish between commercial and non-commercial purposes as prescribed by the Law on Customs. Consolidated cargo in containers and shipments weighing under 1,000 kg account for a large number of declarations but generate very little revenue (only 0.008 percent–0.016 percent). The city has proposed exempting these goods to reduce administrative burdens.
Regarding businesses’ complaints about overlapping fees in the SP-ITC International Container Terminal in Phu Huu Commune, where the only access road to the two ports passes through multiple BOT toll gates, companies have to pay various road tolls in addition to seaport infrastructure fees. Many petitions have been sent to the Government and the HCMC People’s Committee requesting fee reductions or a buyback of the BOT projects.
The Department of Construction has assessed that these petitions are valid, but there is currently no legal provision for buying back Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) projects. Instead, it has proposed reducing seaport infrastructure fees by an amount equivalent to the cost of passing through two Phu Huu BOT toll stations.
The collection work also faces many difficulties due to the lack of sanctions for non-payment. The user interface, fee collection system, and customs data sharing have been inconsistent. More than 2,900 businesses owe fees of less than VND10,000; nearly 2,000 businesses are in arrears but are no longer operating. Around 62,966 declarations were incorrectly paid due to inaccurate information.
To address these issues, HCMC has proposed that the municipal People’s Council issue a new Resolution to replace all previous fee-collection resolutions, in line with the new administrative boundaries after the merger of Binh Duong and Ba Ria – Vung Tau. The HCMC People’s Committee has also proposed setting the retention rate for collection costs at 1.5 percent of total revenue; expanding cashless payment options beyond the Customs 24/7 system; prioritizing capital allocation for key routes in the Cat Lai port area such as Ring Road 2, Nguyen Duy Trinh, My Thuy, and An Phu while reviewing and improving the collection process, technical data-handling solutions, and measures to address fee arrears.
Under Resolution No. 10/2020 of the HCMC People’s Council, all revenue from seaport infrastructure fees, after deducting collection costs, is allocated to the state budget and used to invest in transport projects linking seaports. The Department of Construction has proposed 27 priority projects, of which 17 out of 24 have been or are being allocated investment capital, with a total medium-term capital plan of more than VND23,980 billion. Two new projects include increasing the clearance height of Binh Trieu 1 Bridge and Binh Phuoc 1 Bridge.
The HCMC People’s Committee affirmed that the collection of seaport infrastructure fees has provided an important funding source for the development of port-connecting transport infrastructure. However, to further facilitate businesses and better reflect actual conditions, the city has proposed that the People’s Council issue a new policy to comprehensively adjust fee levels, applicable subjects, and the rate of retained collection costs.
