After 30 years, new investments in the development of ports

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Construction, Transport and Infrastructure, prof. Zorana Mihajlovic PhD., said today that the Government of Serbia invests around EUR 200 million in the development of water transport and that after more than 30 years serious investments are made in the modernization of ports.
Mihajlovic stated this after the signing of the privatization contract for Port of Novi Sad, signed by Dragan Stevanovic, state secretary in the Ministry of Economy, and Rado Antolovic, executive director of P & O Ports from the United Arab Emirates, which operates within the company " DP World." The signing was also attended by the director of Port Governance Agency, Vuk Perovic and the Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates in Serbia, H.E. Mubarak Al-Dhaheri.

"Water transport has always been somewhere on the side in relation to road and railway transport. Today, this is no longer the case, since the Government of Serbia invests more than EUR 200 million in river infrastructure, primarily in the regulation of river Sava and Danube river basins and the modernization of ports. After Port of Novi Sad, the construction of the Port of Smederevo, which should start in March next year, will be followed by project documentation for the Port of Belgrade, and we will also discuss the expansion of the Sremska Mitrovica Port, "Mihajlovic said.

She reminded that in the previous years there were not even 500,000 euros invested in infrastructure in water transport, that once upon a time ports were bought because of the land and that technology in them is more than 30 years old.

"Serbia passes the shortest route in both road and rail transport, but it is also important for water transport that we want to be equally competitive. This requires that Danube and Sava be navigated all year long and that we have a modern port infrastructure, which is also important for the transport of goods and for the development of tourism, "Mihajlovic said.

Deputy Prime Minister said that it is important that the new owner of the Port of Novi Sad invests more than the contractual obligation, and that in the process of privatization of the Port of Novi Sad, before the sale, port land and infrastructure were transferred from the property of the port operator and transferred to the property of the Republic of Serbia.

Dragan Stevanovic said that the process of privatization was successfully and qualitatively brought to an end and that the beginning of a new future for the Port of Novi Sad is on the horizon. "We managed to provide through the criteria in a public call a credible investor, a serious port operator operating in more than 40 countries and employing around 35,000 people. On the other hand, it is very important that all employees continue to work and that the activity of the port increases in time, and that from the current 1.2 million tons of transshipment will reach the full capacity of 2.5 million, over time even more than that, "Stevanovic said.

He said that the buyer will pay a sales price of 7.99 million in the next three days, and that it is good news that the total investments will be greater than those representing the contractual obligation, which amounts to 15 million euros.

Mayor of Novi Sad Milos Vucevic said that he is satisfied that Novi Sad is one of the largest investors in this business, and that "it is a double plus that in agreement with the Government of Serbia part of the purchase price will be invested in the city of Novi Sad", said Vucevic.

Rado Antolovic said that the new owners of the Port of Novi Sad plan to invest approximately 30 million euros in order to secure a high level of business, and that by connecting a new acquisition with operations across Europe, P & O Ports will provide added value to this port.