In response to booming trade in peak season, Cat Lai Port to endeavor alternative methods

On November 10, 2006, Cat Lai Port (CLP) of Saigon Newport Company (SNP) hit the annual throughput objective for 2006 fifty days prior to plan. At the growth rate of 38%, SNP is bound to reach 1.4M teu by the end of 2006, accounting for 64% container throughput in the market of Ho Chi Minh City and 40% nationally. Located in the key economic area of the South, CLP has essentially kept up with the growth rate of regional trading and has all the way been in company with the development of all enterprises.
In Ho Chi Minh City and neighboring areas, peak season begins by the end of the year and lasts till early Lunar New Year. In response to the tremendous growth in throughput, CLP had, from October 2006, endeavored alternative methods to boost customer services:

- Infrastructure: CLP had, in cooperation with HCMC Service of Transport and Public Works, upgraded Nguyen Thi Dinh Street, from the interjection of East-West Highway (with 16 lanes) to the port gate. On December 01, 2006, CLP will operate Le Phung Hieu gate with 06 in-lanes and 03 out-lanes. The launch of the new gate and maintenance of Nguyen Thi Dinh current gate will essentially facilitate traffic conditions in the port and neighboring areas. In term of overall area and container yard, CLP has, from early this year, raised the total area by 55ha and aims at the achievement of master plan, phase 2 for the expansion of 60ha by the first quarter of 2007.
- Equipment: In less than no time, CLP will set forth for the investment and operation of 03 post-panamax quayside mobile gantry cranes, 06 reach stackers and 20 trailers.
- Operational management: Recently the advanced scheme of ‘terminal’ management has been put into operation. At present CLP has three terminals, each of which controls a designated berth to boost operations with regard to port stay. Currently the average productivity approximates 30 boxes/hour, highest in Vietnam and equal to many ports within Asean countries and worldwide. Highly appreciated by many shipping lines, the promptness of terminal operations has brought about favorable conditions to save expenditures for shipping lines, enhance operational efficiency, foster competitiveness and gain prestige from customers for quality services.
- Information technology: Apart from speeding up investment on the most up-to-date information technology in port operations, SNP is setting up to launch a new service namely “Supplying port information and services via Short Message Service (SMS)” for all customers operating at SNP’s premises. The new service is bound to undergo a pilot period on December 2006 and will officially be put into use early 2007. Thanks to the advantageous service, customers at any place within the country will find it at hand to seek information on their outbound and inbound containers, port operations, shipping lines... by SMS via operator 8140. Shipping lines and customers deem it the most effective marketing approach of SNP for 2007.
- Customer services: Recently SNP has been in close collaboration with HCMC Region I Customs in an attempt to enhance customer services. The two organizations have established the Counter-Supervision Team whose function is to observe and give comments on working manner and attitude of staff of the two parties in serving customers, grab hold of and clear up all customers’ on-site queries at our earliest convenience via Customer Service or hotline at 0907.400.400 or our official website at www.saigonnewport.com.vn .

With various essential and effective measures for peak season of 2006, CLP is bound to meet the tremendous growth in throughput in key economic areas of the South and serve as premises for the achievement of throughput objective of 1.7M and 2.0M teu for 2007 and 2008 respectively, especially when Vietnam becomes the 150th member of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and has successfully organized the 14th APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) Economic Leaders’ Meeting in Hanoi in November 2006.