In the context of increasingly strong maritime and inland waterway traffic activities in An Giang province, the requirements for state management in seaport areas, port border gates and port water areas are increasingly high. Ensuring maritime security and safety, controlling entry and exit, preventing and combating smuggling, trade fraud and violations of the law at sea requires close coordination between many functional forces. In which, Kien Giang Maritime Administration and An Giang Provincial Border Guard are two units playing a core role, directly performing state management tasks in seaport and port border gate areas.
Colonel Pham Van Thang, Deputy Commander of the Provincial Military Command, Commander of the Border Guard Command of An Giang province, said: In recent times, the travel demand of people, vehicles, and goods entering and leaving ports under the management of the two units is very large. The number of barges, cargo ships, and workers coming to the islands to serve key projects of the province has increased very high. This shows that close coordination between the two units is a necessary content for good management of ships entering and leaving ports.
Especially currently, Phu Quoc special zone is urgently building key projects of the nation, the Provincial Border Guard has directed units to coordinate with functional agencies to perform the task of protecting the safety of the area, where there are key projects. Good coordination with Kien Giang Maritime Administration to manage foreign and domestic ships and boats, ships transporting raw materials and goods to carry out procedures at the ports of Phu Quoc special zone conveniently, safely, quickly, and in accordance with the law. This is an important task of the two units, helping to accelerate the progress of key projects, contributing to the overall success of APEC to be held in Phu Quoc in 2027," Colonel Pham Van Thang informed.
The coordination between the two forces helps ensure that the process of procedures for ships and boats is carried out quickly and in accordance with regulations, avoiding overlap or omissions in inspection and control work. Through regular information exchange, the two units can promptly detect and handle cases of legal violations such as ships and boats not meeting safety conditions, crew members illegally entering the country or showing signs of legal violations. Coordinate in managing the operation of fishing boats and inland waterway vehicles operating in the seaport area, ensuring that these vehicles comply with regulations on waterway traffic safety, do not violate prohibited areas, restricted areas or affect the operation of ships.
In the process of performing tasks, the two units regularly coordinate in patrol and control work in the port area and seaport waters. When signs of violations are detected, the two units will promptly exchange information, coordinate inspection and handle according to their authority. In particular, for complex cases related to foreign ships or serious violations, the coordination between the two units plays an important role in verifying, collecting evidence and handling cases according to the provisions of law.
Colonel Pham Van Thang added: "The close coordination between the two units also contributes to improving the effectiveness of combating smuggling, trade fraud and illegal transportation of goods by sea. Through the mechanism of information exchange and coordination of inspections, many violations have been detected and handled promptly, contributing to maintaining security and order in the seaport area. In maritime activities, incidents such as ship accidents, fires, oil spills or unfavorable weather conditions can occur at any time. Therefore, coordination in search and rescue and incident handling at sea is one of the important tasks between the two units.
Through close coordination in ship management, ensuring security and order, crime prevention, search and rescue and professional information exchange, the two forces have made important contributions to ensuring maritime safety, maintaining national border security and promoting marine economic development, Colonel Pham Van Thang said.
