BRIBES * Vietnam - Seaport staff demand they

Money makes the mare go!... For many enterprises, sending cargo through a seaport in northern Hai Phong City requires “black money” for timely delivery

Ho Chi Minh City,Vietnam -Thanh Nien Daily -2 July 2008: -- Staff at Chua Ve Port – one of three congested ports at the Hai Phong Port Complex – are notorious for demanding money from cargo truck drivers at all stages to let a container pass through... When the seaport staff unload boats, the containers may be held up indefinitely unless the owner of the cargo pays the illegal fee to staff... “We have to pay the bribe at almost every stage,” said the director of a land transport service in the city who spoke on condition of anonymity. “It’s like an unwritten law in the port, we know by heart how much to pay at each step,” he said... “Fees for a container to get through can range from VND60,000-100,000 (US$3.50-6)... My company transports around 300 containers a month so we have to pay over VND20 million ($1,200) for them every month.”... The busiest area where bribing takes place is around the crane, said an experienced driver known as T... When the seaport staff unload boats, the containers may be held up indefinitely unless the owner of the cargo pays the illegal fee to staff... T. said he could get his load and leave the port in just a few minutes after making such a payment while those who didn’t pay had to wait... The company’s trade union admitted bribing existed, but also blamed the cargo owners and drivers... (Photo: A truck driver accepts bribe money from a cargo owner at Chua Ve Port in northern Hai Phong City. Officials at the seaport blame cargo owners and not staff for the pay off system)