"The Ministry of Transports is considering this issue" Port operators don’t want the Port under Mazare’s Administration (documents)

 
The Employers' Organization 'Port Operator' and the National Federation of Port Trade Unions ask the Minister of Transport, Ramona Manescu, and the Secretary of State Constantin Matei for a meeting regarding what they call deficiencies in Port of Constanta administration act.
Ministry of Transport announced that it will complete the request. As for the statement made last week in Constanta by the Prime Minister Victor Ponta, that the new strategy of Port of Constanta should involve private capital and greater involvement of the municipality, the ministry headed by liberal Ramona Manescu states that "at this time the Ministry of Transport is considering this issue".
 
According to some memos, Employers' Organization ’Port Operator' and the National Federation of Port Trade Unions submitted the Ministry of Transports several complaints on the work of Black Sea ports, but didn’t received answers yet. Operators put a warning on the possible negative effects of transferring the Port of Constanta from the ministry to the local administration. We recall that the Prime Minister Victor Ponta said Friday in the Port of Constanta that the new strategy should involve the private capital, the municipality and the government. "The local authority (...) it is normal to have a big say in the development of the port," said the Prime Minister.
Please note that the memos are signed by the President of the Employers’ Organization 'Port Operator', Viorel Panait, and the President of the National Federation of Port Trade Unions, Mircea Burlacu.
"An increased interference of the political factor"




According to operators, "such a measure would have the effect of increasing interference of the political factor in port management decisions, which could lead to economic instability and a loss of Romanian or/and foreign investors confidence in Romanian business as a whole".
Please note that since last fall, the mayor of Constanta, Radu Mazare, was constantly lobbying for the municipality to assume a new package of shares of the port. The mayor warned that otherwise the relationship with Prime Minister Victor Ponta will change. Well, after less than a year, the Prime Minister pulls "out of the hat" the solution: listing the Port shares on the Stock Exchange on the one hand and a larger share for Mazare administration, on the other hand.
The Romanian state is still the majority shareholder of the Port of Constanta, through the National Company Maritime Ports Administration SA Constanta, holding a package of 60% of the shares. 20% of the shares are held by the Property Fund and the other 20% by the municipality in Constanta.
 
Ministry of Transport will grant port operators this request
 
Ministry of Transport announced through his spokesman, Teodora Trandafir, the Minister Ramona Manescu "will comply with the port operators request to find out what their messages". "They will have the opportunity to express their opinion regarding the Port of Constanta," said Teodora Trandafir. Minister’s spokesman said that meeting date and time have not yet been established.
Asked about Manescu’s position towards the scenario invoked by the Prime Minister regarding the Port of Constanta, Teodora Trandafir said: "At this time, the Ministry of Transport is considering this issue. It is in the analysis". MT spokesman specified that this position does not mean that the ministry agrees nor disagrees with Ponta's proposal.


It is important to remember that two weeks ago liberal Manescu Ramona said, for ZIUA de Constanta, that "at Government level, there are not yet discussions related to transferring the Port of Constanta to the local administration".