Cà Mau wants to build $3.5 billion seaport    HÀ NỘI - The southernmost province of Cà Mau is seeking investment to develop a US$3.5 billion seaport complex, which can receive vessels of up to 250,000 tonnes capacity, on Hòn Khoai Island.   Hòn Khoai Island. Cà Mau Province wants to build a deap-water seaport here. - Photo baodautu.vn   At a working session with Minister of Transport Trương Quang Nghĩa on Wednesday, Cà Mau Province proposed that the Hòn Khoai Seaport should be considered one of the major national projects requiring investment. Nguyễn Tiến Hải, chairman of the provincial People’s Committee, proposed that the transport ministry adjust planning and scale of the Hòn Khoai Seaport to enable it to welcome vessels with capacity of up to 250,000 tonnes. Under the current approved plans, the Hòn Khoai Seaport is capable of receiving vessels from 100,000 tonnes to 160,000 tonnes. Minister Trương Quang Nghĩa said calling for investment to develop the Hòn Khoai Seaport from the State budget was not feasible, given the limited budget of the Government. Nghĩa said the province needed to carefully study the feasibility of the project to call for investment, adding that the ministry would support the province in implementing this project. The Hòn Khoai Seaport project has been calling for investment since July 2016. The province said Hòn Khoai Seaport has several advantages. It will be a large deep-water seaport, which can attract a significant shipment volume and boost the region’s economic growth. The seaport is expected to serve the Năm Căn Economic Zone and the southern region with the transport of a number of goods, from coal, rice, agricultural and fisheries products, to petrol, oil and liquefied gas. Notably, Hòn Khoai will be a “green” seaport with a preserved ecosystem. - VNS