The government has directed the handling and dismantling of old ships.

Old ships anchored for extended periods pose a threat to maritime safety and security in Vietnamese waters.

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The Government Office announced that Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai has directed the Ministry of Transport to handle and dismantle old ships that have been anchored for extended periods, affecting maritime safety and security in Vietnamese waters.

Accordingly, the Deputy Prime Minister requested the Ministry of Transport to take the lead and coordinate with relevant ministries and local People's Committees to inspect foreign-flagged vessels that are anchored for extended periods in Vietnam and whose owners are requesting permission to dismantle them in Vietnam, and to propose appropriate action for each case.

At the same time, the Ministry of Transport will take the lead and coordinate with relevant ministries, sectors, and agencies to develop regulations for managing the dismantling of used ships, and submit them to the Prime Minister for consideration and decision.

Currently, hundreds of domestic businesses nationwide own foreign-flagged ships that are past their service life but cannot be dismantled due to bureaucratic obstacles. The owners of these ships are left with no choice but to leave them idle, letting them drift on rivers and seas, or some units "boldly" dismantle them illegally despite knowing it violates the law.

According to maritime port authority statistics, there are currently about 100 foreign-flagged vessels owned by Vietnamese shipping companies (with a total tonnage of over 1 million DWT, accounting for 14% of the total tonnage of the Vietnamese fleet) anchored for extended periods in the waters of domestic and foreign ports.

According to vov.vn - LT