The Ministry of Construction issued Circular No. 18/2025/TT-BXD regulating the organization and operation of maritime ports and inland waterway ports. The Circular takes effect from August 15.
According to the new Circular, some notable functions and tasks of maritime and inland waterway ports are as follows:
Regarding the management of maritime activities, inland waterways and the assigned management area:
Organize the implementation of regulations on management of maritime and inland waterway activities; inspect and supervise maritime and inland waterway activities of organizations and individuals within the scope of management.
Allowing and supervising ships and inland waterway vehicles entering and leaving, operating at seaports, inland waterway ports, inland waterway wharves, anchorage areas and management areas as prescribed; not allowing ships and inland waterway vehicles entering and leaving, operating at seaports, inland waterway ports, anchorage areas and management areas when there are no conditions for maritime safety, maritime security, maritime labor, fire prevention and fighting and environmental pollution prevention as prescribed by Vietnamese law and international treaties to which the Socialist Republic of Vietnam is a member or inland waterway ports, inland waterway wharves, anchorage areas that are not eligible for operation as prescribed by law.
Check the business conditions of seaport exploitation according to regulations.
Regarding transportation:
Management of maritime transport according to regulations.
Control the load of vehicles; speed of ships and inland waterway vehicles at seaports, ports, inland waterway wharves, and anchorage areas.
Monitoring maritime service prices according to regulations.
The organizational structure of the Maritime Port Authority and the Inland Waterway Port Authority under the Vietnam Maritime and Waterway Administration is stipulated as follows:
Professional departments of the Maritime Port Authority
Department of Organization - Administration.
Finance - Accounting Department.
Infrastructure Management Department.
Ship Procedures Department (at Maritime Port Authorities: Quang Ninh, Hai Phong, Ho Chi Minh City).
Department of Maritime Safety and Security.
Maritime Traffic Coordination Department (at Maritime Port Authorities: Hai Phong, Ho Chi Minh City).
The professional departments of the Inland Waterway Port Authority include:
Department of Organization - Administration.
Finance - Accounting Department.
Safety Department.
Infrastructure Management Department.
In case the number of professional departments of the Maritime Port Authority and the Inland Waterway Port Authority under the Vietnam Maritime and Waterway Administration is less than the number of professional departments prescribed, the Director of the Vietnam Maritime and Waterway Administration shall submit to the Minister of Construction for consideration and decision.
Representatives of Maritime Port agencies and Inland Waterway Port agencies (collectively referred to as Port agencies) are regulated as follows:
The Port Authority representative is an organization equivalent to a department level under the department, and is allowed to use the seal according to regulations. The establishment, reorganization and dissolution of the Port Authority Representative shall be carried out in accordance with regulations.
Maritime seaports and inland waterway seaports may have one or more Representatives. The Port Authority representative may have one or more working offices.
The Director of the Maritime Port Authority and the Inland Waterway Port Authority shall prescribe the functions, tasks, and powers of professional departments; prescribe the functions, tasks, powers, and scope of management of the Port Authority Representative according to regulations.
