Greece plans port policy, shipping minister says
Greece?s government will center state-asset-sale plans for the country?s ports on securing growth and job creation, Naftemporiki said, citing Shipping Minister Konstantinos Mousouroulis.
Greece will seek investors to run commercial activities at Piraeus Port Authority SA (PPA) and Thessaloniki Port Authority SA (OLTH), the country?s two biggest ports, Mousouroulis said in an interview published in the Athens-based newspaper today.
A National Port Policy framework is planned for other ports and strategic privatization plans will be developed where there is investor interest, Mousouroulis told Naftemporiki. Some smaller and regional ports will be merged and placed under private management, the newspaper said.
Mousouroulis said value-added tax for coastal shipping may be brought to the same levels with the rate for the tourism sector and bureaucracy for Greek ship registration, which currently requires 32 signatures per vessel, will be reduced, according to the report.
[Bloomberg]
