New regulations on organization and operation of Maritime Port Authority and Inland Waterway Port Authority
Location and function
Maritime Port Authority, Inland Waterway Port Authority under Vietnam Maritime and Waterways Administration is an administrative organization equivalent to a branch, performing the function of state management of maritime and inland waterways at seaports, ports, inland waterway wharves, anchorage areas and assigned management areas, under the direct leadership of the Director of Vietnam Maritime and Waterways Administration.
The Port Authority under the Department is the agency performing the specialized state management function of inland waterways for ports, inland waterway wharves, anchorage areas and assigned management areas in the locality, under the direct leadership of the Director of the Department of Construction.
Maritime Port Authority and Inland Waterway Port Authority have legal status, have their own headquarters, use their own seals, and open accounts at the State Treasury and credit institutions according to regulations.
The English transaction name of the Maritime Administration is Maritime Administration of... (place name).
The Inland Waterways Port Authority under the Vietnam Maritime and Waterways Administration has the English transaction name Inland Waterways Administration (region + Roman numeral).
The Port Authority under the Department has the English transaction name Inland Waterways Administration of … (name of province, city).
Scope of management
The management scope of the Maritime Port Authority includes the seaport waters and management areas assigned according to regulations of the Minister of Construction .
The management scope of the Inland Waterway Port Authority under the Vietnam Maritime and Waterways Administration and the Port Authority under the Department includes one or more of the following component scopes: Ports, inland waterways, anchorage areas on national inland waterways; ports, inland waterways, anchorage areas on specialized inland waterways connecting to national inland waterways; ports, inland waterways, anchorage areas located at the intersection between national inland waterways and local inland waterways; ports, inland waterways, anchorage areas on local inland waterways; ports, inland waterways, anchorage areas on specialized inland waterways connecting to local inland waterways; channels, routes and management areas assigned by competent authorities. The Minister of Construction or the Provincial People's Committee (when delegated) decides to announce the management scope of each port authority.
Duties and powers of Maritime Port Authority and Inland Waterway Port Authority under Vietnam Maritime and Waterways Administration
The Circular clearly states 14 tasks and powers of the Maritime Port Authority and Inland Waterways Port Authority under the Vietnam Maritime and Waterways Administration.
In particular, regarding the management of maritime activities, inland waterways and assigned management areas, Maritime Port Authorities and Inland Waterway Port Authorities organize the implementation of regulations on the management of maritime activities, inland waterways; inspect and supervise maritime activities, inland waterways of organizations and individuals within the scope of management.
Licensing and supervising ships and inland waterway vehicles entering, leaving and operating at seaports, ports, inland waterway wharves, anchorage areas and management areas according to regulations; not allowing ships and inland waterway vehicles to enter, leave and operate at seaports, ports, inland waterway wharves, anchorage areas and management areas when they do not meet the conditions for maritime safety, maritime security, maritime labor, fire and explosion prevention and environmental pollution prevention according to the provisions of Vietnamese law and international treaties to which the Socialist Republic of Vietnam is a member or the ports, inland waterway wharves and anchorage areas do not meet the conditions for operation according to the provisions of law.
Confirm the submission of maritime protests in accordance with the provisions of law; implement the decision to arrest ships, release ships under arrest by competent authorities and temporarily detain ships in accordance with regulations; organize coordination of activities between relevant state management agencies; organize inspection and supervision of the implementation of planning for seaports, ports, inland waterway wharves, and anchorage areas within the scope of management in accordance with regulations; inspect business conditions for exploiting seaports in accordance with regulations.
Regarding transportation, manage maritime transport according to regulations; inspect container safety at seaports in the management area; inspect and supervise the implementation of the confirmation of the total volume of maritime transport containers according to regulations; control vehicle load; speed of ships and inland waterway vehicles at seaports, ports, inland waterway wharves, and anchorage areas; supervise maritime service prices according to regulations. In addition, inspect the loading of goods from ships and inland waterway vehicles to seaports, ports, inland waterway wharves, and anchorage areas and from seaports, ports, inland waterway wharves, and anchorage areas to ships and inland waterway vehicles or between ships and inland waterway vehicles in the waters of seaports, ports, inland waterway wharves, and anchorage areas.
Organize the implementation of ship registration, crew registration and issuance of documents related to ships and crew according to regulations.
Update information on seaports, ports, inland waterway wharves, anchorage areas, ships, inland waterway vehicles, goods, passengers, and administrative sanctions into the database according to regulations...
Duties and powers of the Inland Waterways Port Authority under the Department
Perform the tasks in the field of inland waterway traffic specified above within the scope of management.
Do not perform maritime duties.
Organizational structure of Maritime Port Authority, Inland Waterway Port Authority under Vietnam Maritime and Waterways Administration
The professional departments of the Maritime Port Authority include: 1- Organization - Administration Department; 2- Finance - Accounting Department; 3- Infrastructure Management Department; 4- Vessel Procedures Department (at the Maritime Port Authorities: Quang Ninh, Hai Phong, Ho Chi Minh City ); 5- Maritime Safety - Security Department; 6- Maritime Traffic Coordination Department (at the Maritime Port Authorities: Hai Phong, Ho Chi Minh City).
Professional departments of the Inland Waterway Port Authority: 1- Organization - Administration Department; 2- Finance - Accounting Department; 3- Safety Department; 4- Infrastructure Management Department.
In case the number of professional departments of the Maritime Port Authority and Inland Waterways Port Authority under the Vietnam Maritime and Waterways Administration is less than the number of professional departments prescribed above, the Director of the Vietnam Maritime and Waterways Administration shall submit to the Minister of Construction for consideration and decision.
Representative of Maritime Port Authority, Inland Waterway Port Authority (Port Authority Representative)
According to the Circular, the Port Authority Representative is an organization equivalent to a department level under a branch, and is allowed to use a seal according to regulations. The establishment, reorganization, and dissolution of the Port Authority Representative is carried out according to regulations.
Maritime Port Authority, Inland Waterway Port Authority may have one or several Representatives. Port Authority Representatives may have one or several working offices.
This Circular takes effect from August 15, 2025.