ODESA, JULY, 15th, 2009, CONTEXT-PRICHERNOMORIE – Head of Yuzhny Merchant Sea Port, Yury Kruk thinks it possible a private company Transinvestserice may demand 500 million UAH compensation for unauthorized dredging of the port’s territorial water area, which may lead to the port’s going bankrupt, Context-Prichernomorie correspondent reports.

As Irina Chibirova, the port’s press-secretary informed the agency today, 15 July Head of Yuzhny Merchant Sea Port, Yury Kruk stated this 13 July in Kyiv during a press-conference on the situation in the maritime complex in concern with the arising problem of the division of the influence zones between the state that are built on the territories adjacent to the port’s water area and land.

According to Mr. Kruk, a private company Trnasinvestservice claims at owning state-owned sea piers of the Yuzhny port, though their lease term expired in January, 2009.

“After the Cabinet rendered the territorial waters to state-owned ports, there have begun significant struggles of the private-sector companies.

At first Trnasinvestservice captured the territories adjacent to the port. Further, subject to agreement with local authorities built there their terminals, without any coordination with the port. Then they advanced a claim amounting 52 million UAH to compensate their expenses. And this is a claim just on a single pier. Total sum of the claim now amounts 500 million UAH. If court satisfies this claim, the port will be announced bankrupt – we just do not have so much money. This is a “delay-action mine” in the form of compensation to a private company, Mr. Kruk reported.

“As the result of illegal actions the port suffers much loss. Thus, concerning berth No 16 the port received 23 million 359 thousand UAH less income, berths No 17 – p million 160 thousand UAH. In addition, berth No 16 is being used without a rent contract, that is a rude violation of Ukrainian laws” Head of the port added.

During the press-conference the participants learnt the situation had happened to be the same in Illichivsk Merchant Sea Port and a private company Ukrtranscontainer.