Quyết định 1054/QD-TTg

DECISION

APPROVING THE MASTER PLAN ON DEVELOPMENT OF VIETNAM’S COASTAL COMMUNICATION SYSTEM UP TO 2020, WITH ORIENTATIONS TOWARD 2030

THE PRIME MINISTER

Pursuant to the December 25, 2001 Law on Organization of the Government;

Pursuant to the June 14, 2005 Vietnam Maritime Code;

Pursuant to the Government’s Decree No. 92/2006/ND-CP of September 7, 2006, on the formulation, appraisal, approval and management of socio-economic development master plans, and Decree No. 04/2008/ND-CP of January 11, 2008, amending and supplementing a number of articles of Decree No. 92/2006/ND-CP;

Considering the Ministry of Transport’s proposal in Report No. 6269/TTr-BGTVT of May 30, 2014, on the master plan on development of Vietnam s coastal communication system up to 2020, with orientations toward 2030,

DECIDES:

Article 1. To approve the master plan on development of Vietnam’s coastal communication system up to 2020, with orientations toward 2030, with the following principal contents:

1. Development viewpoints

a/ To develop the coastal communication system in line with the orientations on development of the national information and communication network, prioritizing the use of existing infrastructure facilities, ensuring consistency with master plans on development of the maritime industry and other relevant industries and meeting the demands for marine and island economic development and sea and island defense and security maintenance;

b/ To ensure that the coastal communication system will play the key role in providing, receiving and processing information about maritime distress, safety and security, search and rescue, natural disaster prevention and control and response to marine environmental pollution, and contribute to ensuring smooth communication and protecting national defense and security;

c/ To develop a modem coastal communication system with increasing quality in line with the development trend in the world and Vietnam’s roadmap for accession to maritime treaties and practical conditions.

2. Planning objectives

a/ General objectives:

- To develop the coastal communication system so as to ensure provision of information and communication services to seafarers and vessels operating at sea and on islands and serve the management and administration of natural disaster prevention and control, search and rescue, maritime safety and security and marine environmental protection activities as well as the performance of sea and island defense and security maintenance and marine and island economic development tasks;

- To develop the national system of coastal communication stations in accordance with the International Maritime Organization (IMO)’s roadmap for modernizing the global maritime distress and safety system (GMDSS);

- To diversify services so as to meet requirements of marine and island economic development and defense and security maintenance;

- To develop high-quality human resources to meet the requirements of international integration in coastal communication.

b/ Specific objectives:

- By 2020:

+ To increase capacity and readiness to provide coastal communication services of international and national standards for all vessels (including cargo and fishing vessels) and vessels operating in Vietnam’s sea and island areas and Vietnamese vessels operating in international sea areas;

+ To meet the requirement of tracking of all vessels in accordance with the International Convention on the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS Convention 74/88) to which Vietnam is a contracting party;

- Orientations toward 2030:

+ To expand the scope of tracking to vessels not yet governed by the SOLAS Convention 74/88)

+ To develop navigation support systems to serve e-navigation.

3. Planning contents

a/ Developing the coastal communication system:

- To develop infrastructure for the coastal communication system, including:

+ To apply digital technology on MF/HF/VHF frequencies for grade-I coastal communication stations in Hai Phong and Ho Chi Minh City;

+ To build and develop infrastructure so as to improve information capacity of coastal communication stations in areas where concentrate great numbers of vessels, thus requiring high communication capacity such as Hon Gai, Thanh Hoa, Ben Thuy, Hon La, Hue, Da Nang, Nha Trang, Ly Son, Quy Nhon, Phu Yen, Phan Rang, Phan Thiet, Can Tho, Ca Mau and Kien Giang;

+ To step by step build new coastal communication stations in Nam Dinh, Quang Binh, Ben Tre, Tien Giang, Bac Lieu and on Phu Quy island and Truong Sa archipelago;

+ To build standby receiver stations so as to raise information quality in the 4 regions from Quang Ninh to Ha Tinh, from Quang Binh to Quy Nhon, from Phu Yen to Ninh Thuan and from Binh Thuan to Kien Giang;

+ To apply station-to-station monitoring and control technologies to the entire system; to consolidate the infrastructure of the local-area network connecting coastal communication stations using optical-fiber cable and satellite transmission technologies so as ensure reliability, readiness and coordinated processing capability within the entire system;

+ To upgrade Inmarsat land earth stations (LES), satellite earth stations and Cospas- Sarsat local user terminals/mission control centers (LUT/MCC) to meet the orientations of using Inmarsat 14 and 15 satellites and Cospas-Sarsat medium earth orbiting search and rescue (MEOSAR) system; to establish a broadband satellite service network on the basis of using the national satellite system (Vinasat) so as to develop the sea and island communication system.

- To establish automatic identification system (AIS) shore-based stations and satellite AIS to support navigation and manage and monitor vessels operating at sea in connection and synchronization with other communication systems such as long-range identification and tracking (LRIT) and vessel traffic service (VTS) systems.

- To step by step invest in the VTS system to serve the operation, administration, control and management of vessels operating in national key multi-purpose ports which accommodate large numbers of vessels.

- To upgrade and develop the coastal communication system to meet IMO’s e-navigation development orientations so as to provide diverse standardized communication services to seagoing ships and specialized state management agencies such as port, pilotage, maritime safety and search and rescue authorities, and port and sea shipping businesses.

b/ Developing at-sea communication services:

- To maintain and ensure the quality of distress watchkeeping services and emergency, safety and security and other communication services using terrestrial radio and satellite techniques.

- To provide new distress watchkeeping services using communication satellites according to IMO’s orientations;

- To provide vessel tracking and e-navigation services to meet the demand for information to serve the state management of vessels operating at sea;

- To develop and provide new coastal communication services using digital technology on VHF/MF/HF frequencies and broadband satellite technologies.

c/ Developing human resources:

- To raise qualifications of coastal communication system operators and technicians to be capable of applying new technologies in operation and administration work;

- To train chief operators for grade-I and -II stations, satellite stations, regional LESs and LUTs/MCCs to meet the requirements of international integration in coastal communication;

- To upgrade physical foundations and improve the quality of the lecturing staff of maritime telecommunications training centers to provide training in coastal communication operations;

- To train and disseminate knowledge on the use of information and communication systems among seafarers.

4. Major solutions and policies

a/ Mechanisms and policies:

- To review and improve legal provisions toward modernity and consistency with treaties to which Vietnam is a contracting party;

- To supplement standards and national technical regulations on safety and communication devices and equipment applicable to vessels which fail to comply with international standards (regulations of the SOLAS 74/88 Convention);

- To develop a roadmap for coastal communication stations to shift to digital technology; to replace information and communication equipment terminals for vessels operating at sea, especially fishing vessels;

- To create mechanisms and policies to support coastal communication service users when making investment to renew technology.

b/ Science and technology:

- To step by step apply digital technology in order to modernize, and raise capacity of, the coastal communication system in line with the development trend in the world;

- To apply world standards and technical regulations to maritime communication systems; to improve national technical regulations applicable to the coastal communication system in conformity with relevant treaties to which Vietnam is a contracting party;

- To concentrate efforts on mobilizing all resources and adopting policies to support and encourage domestic institutions, universities and enterprises to conduct research and development and applied research so as to turn out information and communication products for the maritime industry; to step up the application of scientific research outcomes and take the initiative in transferring technologies and technical advances for application in maritime communication systems;

- To organize seminars on maritime information and communication.

c/ Finance:

- To prioritize funds from the state budget and public-utility telecommunications fund, official development assistance (ODA) sources and other lawful financing sources for investment in the development of the coastal communication system and maritime safety and security assurance;

- To create mechanisms to raise funds and mechanisms for prioritizing and using revenues of the maritime industry to invest in the development of the coastal communication system;

- To ensure annual state budget funds for implementation of projects under the master plan.

d/ Human resources:

- To increase investment in the construction of physical foundations for maritime telecommunications and information technology training institutions to serve the training of high-quality human resources for coastal communication;

- To provide professional training in and organize training courses on managerial and professional skills for cadres and civil servants so as to raise their professional qualifications in coastal communication;

- To organize seminars and make plans on training and dissemination of information and communication knowledge to seafarers;

- To adopt appropriate treatment policies for cadres and civil servants so as to attract high-quality human resources.

dd/ International cooperation:

- To actively participate in conferences, seminars and training activities organized by the IMO and other international organizations; to promote cooperation with regional countries in the fields of emergency information and maritime safety and security, research and rescue;

- To study models of development of coastal communication networks in the world.

5. Some projects prioritized for investment

a/ Building new coastal communication stations on Truong Sa archipelago,and in Nam Dinh and Ben Tre provinces;

b/ Increasing capacity for the coastal communication stations in Da Nang, Nha Trang, Thanh Hoa, Ben Thuy, Hue, Quy Nhon, Phu Yen, Phan Thiet, Ca Mau and Kien Giang;

c/ Building a system of new-generation Cospas-Sarsat medium earth orbit local user terminals (MEOLUT); investing in and upgrading the VNLƯT/MCC system to meet Cospas- Sarsat development orientations of shifting to use the MEOSAR satellite system;

d/ Building standby receiver stations so as to increase information quality in the 4 regions from Quang Ninh to Ha Tinh, from Quang Binh to Quy Nhon, from Phu Yen to Ninh Thuan and from Binh Thuan to Kien Giang;

dd/ Investing in the infrastructure of the local-area network that links coastal communication stations using optical-fiber and satellite transmission technologies;

e/ Investing in the VTS for Quang Ninh and Da Nang routes.

Article 2. Organization of implementation

1. The Ministry of Transport shall:

a/Assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with other ministries, sectors and localities in, organizing the implementation of the master plan;

b/ Direct the study and preparation of digitalization plans and roadmaps for some key coastal communication stations;

c/ Assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with the Ministry of Information and Communications and the Ministry of Science and Technology in, elaborating and promulgating standards and technical regulations on the quality of coastal communication services and safety equipment on board vessels under the management of the transport sector in conformity with Vietnam’s development requirements and international practices;

d/ Direct the mobilization of funds from various sources for investment in the development of the coastal communication system under the approved master plan;

dd/ Assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with related ministries, sectors and localities in, proposing the creation of mechanisms and policies to support coastal communication service users in the course of shifting from analog to digital technology;

e/ Assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with the Ministry of Agricultural and Rural Development, the Ministry of National Defense and related localities in, disseminating guidelines and information on the coastal communication station system’s frequencies used for natural disaster forecasting, distress watch, safety, search and rescue activities.

2. The Ministry of Planning and Investment shall:

a/ Assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with the Ministry of Transport and related agencies in, summarizing and allocating sufficient development investment capital for the performance of tasks and implementation of programs and projects under the approved master plan;

b/ Assume the prime responsibility for summarizing and proposing competent authorities to decide to use ODA capital to implement the master plan.

3. The Ministry of Finance shall coordinate with the Ministry of Planning and Investment in allocating and assuring state budget funds for investment in the development of the coastal communication system under the approved master plan.

4. The Ministry of National Defense shall assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with the Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of Agricultural and Rural Development, the Ministry of Information and Communications and related agencies in, drafting a regulation on provision of information to serve search and rescue and defense and security maintenance.

5. The Ministry of Information and Communications shall:

a/ Assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with related ministries and sectors in, drafting, and organizing the implementation of, regulations on management of telecommunications resources so as to ensure that the coastal communication system operates in conformity with Vietnam’s conditions and international practices; promulgate a regulation on inspection and control of radio stations spontaneously built by fishermen themselves;

b/ Coordinate with the Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Ministry of Science and Technology and related agencies in, formulating national standards and technical regulations on information and communication devices for use at sea.

6. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development shall:

a/ Assume the prime responsibility for formulating and promulgating standards and technical regulations on information and safety equipment and devices on board vessels under its management in conformity with technical infrastructure and technologies of the coastal communication system;

b/ Coordinate with the Ministry of Transport in making the fullest use of available coastal communication infrastructure to provide communication services, manage fishing vessels and serve search, rescue and natural disaster prevention and control at sea;

c/ Compile and provide fishing newsletters to the stations belonging to the Vietnam’s coastal communication system;

d/ Organize professional training in information and communication operations and disseminating professional knowledge for users of the coastal communication system;

dd/ Coordinate with the Ministry of Transport in supporting fishing vessels that use coastal communication services when shifting from analog to digital technology.

7. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment shall:

a/ Direct the National Center for Hydrometeorological Forecasting to provide sea weather forecasts to the coastal communication system;

b/ Provide information and participate in the dissemination of information about marine resources and environment protection through newscasts of coastal communication stations.

8. People’s Committees of coastal provinces and centrally run cities shall:

a/ Coordinate with the Ministry of Transport in investing in coastal communication infrastructure in their localities;

b/ Coordinate with coastal communication stations in providing communication services to serve flood, storm and at-sea natural disaster prevention and control;

c/ Disseminate and guide fishermen to use communication devices and equipment; increase inspection and control of radio stations spontaneously built by fishermen according to regulations;

d/ Coordinate with the Ministry of Transport in supporting local fishermen who use coastal communication services when shifting from analog to digital technology.

Article 3. This Decision takes effect on the date of its signing.

This Decision replaces the Prime Minister’s Decision No. 269/TTg of April 26, 1996, approving the master plan on the system of Vietnam’s coastal communication stations up to 2000, with orientations toward 2010.

Article 4. Ministers, heads of ministerial-level agencies, heads of government-attached agencies, chairpersons of People’s Committees of coastal provinces and centrally run cities and related organizations and individuals shall implement this Decision.-