12:18 09.03.2017

Real investor in port sector is agriculture – Ukrainian Sea Port Authority chief

2 min read
Real investor in port sector is agriculture – Ukrainian Sea Port Authority chief

Ukraine's agricultural sector today is the main sector with a prospect of building port assets, Head of Ukrainian Sea Port Authority Raivis Veckagans has said.

"The current geopolitical situation has slightly changed the segment linked to building terminals. Today investors and cargo owners from agriculture mainly address us. This is the main sector with a prospect of building port assets," he said in an interview with Interfax-Ukraine.

Veckagans said that now Ukrainian Sea Port Authority is monitoring the situation in the segment and sees projects that have been realized in part of construction of terminal and require dredging works, for example, at Chornomorsk port.

"I think that we should have tight contacts with cargo owners who are doing their business in Ukraine. Work with transit flows today is more risky. We face a task of supporting passport depths of water areas and implementing dredging works. Then we will look at the demands of cargo owners for each separate segment," he said.

Veckagans said that the authority is holding talks to attract funds. International financial institutions show their interest to the authority.

"I want us to have a good result and become a solvent company. This is global practice when a port attracts external funds without direct subsidies from the budget," he said.

Commenting on the development of the sector, Veckagans said that in the near term cargo flow will be at the current level, while transit flow would decline.

"I hope that the potential of internal exporters would retain cargo flow at the required level if there were no large geopolitical shocks. I would not be super optimistic. The goal of our company is to develop port infrastructure as effectively as possible and revise revenue and spending, understanding that the situation would not be too positive," he said.

AD
AD
AD
AD
AD