Deputy PM Trinh Dinh Dung speaking at the conference (Photo: VGP)
Hanoi (VNA) – Repairing newly-built substandard offshore fishing vessels is
a matter of great economic, political and social significance that should be
done immediately, Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung has said.
Speaking
at a conference held in Hanoi on August 1 to review the implementation of the
2014 Government decree on development of
the fisheries sector, the Deputy PM asked central and local leaders to
focus on removing its limitations.
The
Ministry of Agricultural and Rural Development (MARD) should review the fishing
vessel registration process to ensure the ships are in good condition.
Supervision of the shipbuilding process and the people involved should be
stepped up, he said.
He
also wanted commercial banks to untangle loan procedures for fishermen.
“Disciplinary
action should be taken against individuals and organisations involved in the
faulty implementation of the decree,” he said.
The
Deputy PM also called for changes to the decree that should be made public
within the fourth quarter of this year and go into effect at the beginning of
next year.
Evaluating
overall implementation of the decree in recent years, Deputy PM Dung said it
was a groundbreaking, comprehensive policy that served the needs of fishermen
and contributed to the development of the country’s marine economy.
Under Decree 67 (dated July 7, 2014), ship owners building
steel or ships with new material (other than wood) with engine capacities
between 400CV and 800CV can borrow up to 90 percent of the total cost at the
interest rate of 7 percent per year.
Reports from localities show that under the Decree, ship
owners in 27 of 28 coastal provinces and cities had borrowed money to build
and/or renovate 1,948 – or 85 percent – of the total 2,284 fishing ships.
By July 31, some 760 vessels had been pressed into service.
Of these 460 were newly-built (301 steel-clad ships, 53 composite and 407
wooden) and 105 others renovated.
Earlier in May, some 40 ships built in the central provinces
of Binh Dinh, Phu Yen, Thanh Hoa and
Quang Nam were reported to be in bad condition, their shells rusty, machines
broken and equipment malfunctioning.
Repairs of these vessels are expected to be completed by the
end of next month.
Deputy
Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Vu Van Tam said there were
shortcomings in the selection of shipbuilding companies, design consultation
and construction supervision, since it was the first time fishermen were taking
part in building steel-ships.
This
time, MARD would oversee the repairs and bring the vessels back into operation
as soon as possible, he said, asking fishermen to conduct periodical
renovations and repairs.
Tam
also highlighted high interest rate on loans as a drawback of Decree
67. “Its loan mechanism is unsuitable for fishermen, and there is no risk
management mechanism for commercial banks, which discourages fishermen from
borrowing money and banks from providing loans,” he said.-VNA