Ukrainian Minister of Infrastructure Offers Port Investment Opportunity

Ukrainian Minister of Infrastructure Maksym Burbak offered potential investors to involve in the development of projects of Ukrainian seaports more actively. This was started by the Minister during a meeting with investors of large seaports of Odesa.

“I once again confirm the necessity of implementation of seaports’ reform. The year of the process revealed shortcomings that should be eliminated. So I ask the experts, professionals, investors to give their suggestions and comments to involve more actively in the development of investment projects, provide them to the Ministry of Infrastructure and start to implement them,” Maksym Burbak said.

As of today, the investment project in the Yuzhnyi seaport is in tender procedure preparation stage. Feasibility study for this project was developed by the Yuzhnyi seaport with the assistance of international experts – Roland Berger consulting company. Feasibility studies of investment projects in Mariupol, Berdyansk, Belgorod-Dnitrovskyi, Illichivck ports are being preparing under concession with the participation of international experts.

At the dame time, the Minister called on investors to pay attention to other objects that could be attractive for the public-private partnership.

In general, during a meeting with business representatives there were discussed preferences for investors, settlement procedures on allotment of lands of water fund, methods of calculation of port fees, the possibility of other forms of public-private partnerships, in addition to concessions, etc..

The Minister emphasized that if the state guarantees for its part the obligations on investors, and the latter, in turn, should do the same. For example, he said, if the investor is willing to take in concession a berth, it must ensure the growth of traffic otherwise it will have got penalties.

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KMU , March 28, 2014