Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has told Vinashin, the largest shipbuilder in the country, to keep on upgrading the shipbuilding industry into a world power, speeding up national industrialization, the mouthpiece of the communist party said.
Dung expressed his ambition for the industry during his trip to Vinashin Business Group’s two major shipyards in Haiphong City May 20.
“The government is fully aware of the importance of the sea to national economy and security”, Dung said, adding that a relevant action plan prioritizing shipbuilding, oil and gas industry, fisheries and tourism development has been launched.
Meeting with Vinashin authorities, Dung praised the shipbuilding industry for huge steps forward in constructing heavy tonnage vessels with high quality and competitive prices.
“With the building of the second 53,000-ton ship, the Nam Trieu Shipbuilding Industry Corporation under Vinashin has helped develop supportive industries, such as the production of welding rods and electricity cables,” he said.
Nam Trieu shipyard has signed contracts worth US$2 billion in total, with construction orders for 56,000-ton ships, 150,000-ton oil tankers and ro-ro vessels capable of carrying roughly 7,000 automobiles, until 2010.
The Vietnamese government lent all its US$750 million 2005 maiden sovereign bond proceedings to Vinashin, facilitating the shipwright’s production scale expansion.
Vinashin reported revenues of nearly VND11,500 billion ($718.75 million) in 2006, up 44.1 per cent on year.
In 2007, Vinashin targets raising revenues to VND18,500 billion ($1.16 billion).
Vinashin, set up in 1995, now has up to 100 affiliates in 25 province and cities nationwide. The corporation has over 33, 000 employees. (The People)
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