Many difficulties and challenges in building a logistics center in the Mekong Delta region

On the afternoon of November 14, the People's Committee of Can Tho City organized the annual Economic Forum 2025, with the theme "Can Tho towards a modern logistics center, a driving force for development of the Mekong Delta region.

Mr. Nguyen Van Khoi, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Can Tho City, delivered a speech at the forum.

Following the reorganization and consolidation, Can Tho City is a Type I urban area, directly under the central government. The city has a strategic location, serving as the center of the Mekong Delta region. Can Tho is a hub for trade, a center for services, logistics, processing industries, and the marine economy , and is identified as the main driving force for growth in the region.

Mr. Nguyen Van Khoi, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Can Tho City, stated: Can Tho City has a diverse transportation system including waterways, roads, and air routes; playing a central logistics role connecting Can Tho with Ho Chi Minh City, the Mekong Delta provinces, and the international economic corridor. The city holds undeniable advantages as a regional hub, possessing a comprehensively planned seaport, international airport, and a bustling inland waterway network.

Besides the advantages, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Can Tho City, Nguyen Van Khoi, frankly acknowledged that Can Tho City's goal of becoming a modern logistics center and a comprehensive hub for the Mekong Delta region still faces many difficulties and challenges. For example, the city's logistics infrastructure is not yet synchronized, especially in terms of waterway connectivity, ports, warehouses, and digital technology infrastructure; and logistics services are still limited in terms of receiving, storing, transporting, and customs clearance of goods.

The Hau River, a vital waterway, runs through Can Tho City.

Furthermore, in Can Tho City, the majority of logistics businesses are small and medium-sized, lacking the capacity to provide comprehensive, integrated services along the value chain; some mechanisms and policies are not yet truly suitable for the new situation and need further improvement to meet the requirements of regional economic development and urban consolidation.

At the forum, experts and managers argued that not only Can Tho City but also the entire Mekong Delta region faces many difficulties and challenges in its logistics system. In particular, the region's inland waterway transport system, considered the lifeblood of goods transportation, still has many shortcomings and its inherent potential has not been fully exploited.

Specifically, the waterway infrastructure is weak and lacks uniformity; many key waterways on the Hau River, Tien River, Co Chien River, Ham Luong River, etc., are experiencing siltation; planning and management lack regional coordination; waterway transport vehicles are outdated; and the application of technology is limited…

TUAN QUANG

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/nhieu-kho-khan-thach-thuc-trong-xay-dung-trung-tam-logistics-vung-dbscl-post823523.html