Businesses introduce logistics technologies on the sidelines of the HCM City Logistics Forum on September 30. — VNA/VNS Photo

HCM CITY — HCM City is taking a number of measures to resolve the problems faced by the logistics sector such as poor infrastructure and lack of skilled human resources, according to its government.

According to Phan Thị Thắng, deputy chairwoman of the city People’s Committee, the city is an important trade gateway for the southern region, but the transportation system is inadequate.

The construction of ring roads connecting with provinces has been slow, and so trade with them is not commensurate with the potential.

The city plans to develop seven logistics centres by 2025, with the six-hectare Hi-Tech Park Logistics Centre being in the process of identifying a developer.

Besides, enterprises are building facilities that are "similar to logistics centres" such as a cold storage at the Vĩnh Lộc Industrial Park and an e-commerce warehouse in Củ Chi District.

“Schools and logistic firms lack interaction. The quality of human resources in logistics is not commensurate with the city’s potential,” Thắng said.

Lê Huỳnh Minh Tú, deputy director of the Department of Industry and Trade, said the country’s demand for logistics workers was increasing by 7.5 per cent a year.

HCM City alone needs 63,000 workers a year, including more than 8,400 with professional skills, in 2021-25, according to Tú.

To meet this demand, the city has identified two strategic tasks: accelerating short-term training for small and medium logistics enterprises to mitigate their labour shortage and providing intensive training to develop human resources of international standard.

Nguyễn Quang Trung of the University of Economics and Finance said along with the development of e-commerce and the digital economy, e-logistics played an increasingly important role.

Therefore, investment in logistics and information technology infrastructure for e-logistics development was an urgent need, he said.

Delegates at a recent forum called for upgrading ports and developing road and rail transport networks.

Thắng said the city, recognising the importance of the logistics industry, wanted to make it a spearhead that would account for 12 per cent of the economy by 2030.

Logistics costs are expected to fall to 10-15 per cent of GDP by 2025. — VNS