At the Investment Promotion Conference of Lao Cai province in 2026, Comrade Nguyen Tuan Anh - Chairman of Lao Cai Provincial People's Committee awarded the Decision approving the investment policy and also approving the investor of the Smart Border Gate Construction Project at Kim Thanh road bridge customs clearance, belonging to Lao Cai International Border Gate, to Viettel Post Corporation (Viettel Post).
According to the decision, the project has a scale of 7.87 ha, implemented in Kim Thanh border gate area, Lao Cai ward, according to the roadmap from the second quarter of 2026 to the fourth quarter of 2032. This is one of the important logistics infrastructure projects, contributing to concretizing the direction of building Lao Cai International Border Gate into a modern, smart border gate and a trade hub on the economic corridor connecting Vietnam with Yunnan province and the Southwest China region.
The project includes main items such as the operating house, scanning area, transshipment area, inspection house, inspection yard, import goods gathering and monitoring area, express delivery center and technical infrastructure system and auxiliary works. The items are planned in a synchronous direction, capable of connecting with the road, rail, highway and logistics hubs in the area.
Not only investing in infrastructure, Viettel Post is oriented to build the project on the foundation of digital technology, artificial intelligence, Internet of Things and automation solutions. Accordingly, the technology will be researched and applied to the stages of vehicle coordination, goods monitoring, traffic flow management, supporting inspection, transshipment and information connection between subjects participating in import and export activities. The project also aims to form a digital platform capable of connecting and sharing data according to regulations between state management agencies, operating units and businesses. Thereby, the status of vehicles, goods and processing progress can be monitored more transparently; and at the same time support traffic flow management, reduce the risk of congestion and improve the efficiency of border gate infrastructure exploitation.
When put into operation, all activities of coordinating vehicles, managing goods and connecting data between management agencies and businesses will be carried out on a unified digital platform. This model contributes to improving customs clearance capacity, optimizing logistics costs, increasing supply chain connectivity and improving the competitiveness of the Vietnam - China trade route.
Speaking at the Conference, Comrade Ho Quoc Dung - Member of the 14th Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam, Member of the Standing Committee of the Government Party Committee, Deputy Prime Minister emphasized that Lao Cai holds the position of the shortest connecting gateway between Vietnam and Southwest China and fully meets the conditions to develop into a logistics center of the Northern region. The Deputy Prime Minister affirmed that the development of border gate logistics infrastructure is one of the important growth drivers of the locality; in which, the Smart Border Gate Project will contribute to modernizing border trade, improving customs clearance capacity, reducing logistics costs and increasing the competitiveness of the economy. At the same time, the Deputy Prime Minister requested ministries, branches, localities and investors to closely coordinate to implement the project to ensure progress, quality and efficiency.
Comrade Colonel Nguyen Viet Dung - Chairman of the Board of Directors of Viettel Post, said:
Viettel Post is very honored to be trusted and approved by Lao Cai province as the investor of the Smart Border Gate Construction Project at Kim Thanh road bridge customs clearance. We determine that this is not only an investment project, but also a responsibility to cooperate with Lao Cai province to modernize the border gate infrastructure, improve customs clearance capacity and promote trade on the Vietnam-China economic corridor. In the process of implementation, we will study domestic and international experiences; select, integrate and apply advanced logistics technologies, most suitable and effective to actual operating conditions, towards building a smart, synchronous, transparent and scalable border gate model in the long term.
Viettel Post's commitment is based on a widespread logistics network, warehousing system, multimodal transport capacity and technology platforms that have been invested and developed by the enterprise for many years. The experience of deploying automatic distribution centers, border gate logistics infrastructure and management and operation solutions on digital platforms is the basis for Viettel Post to continue to participate more deeply in the process of investing, building and operating national logistics infrastructure.
Through the Smart Border Gate Project in Lao Cai, Viettel Post is gradually expanding its role from a service provider to an enterprise investing and operating digital logistics infrastructure. This is a development step in line with the orientation of building a synchronous logistics ecosystem, in which physical infrastructure, technology, data and operating capacity are connected on a unified platform.
According to the plan, the project is implemented in three phases. The first phase focuses on completing legal procedures, investing in essential infrastructure and gradually putting items into operation from 2027. In the following phases, Viettel Post will expand its scale, add technology and complete the entire system by 2032.
When completed, the project will add an important link to the logistics infrastructure system in Lao Cai, contributing to improving the efficiency of import and export operations, supporting businesses to connect supply chains and creating more motivation for border gate economic development. Further, this will be the foundation for gradually forming a modern logistics center on the economic corridor connecting Vietnam with Yunnan province and the Southwest China region, contributing to improving the competitiveness of the national supply chain.
