ODESA, JULY, 24th, 2009, CONTEXT-PRICHERNOMORIE – Administration of Illichivsk Merchant Sea Port believes National Container Company (NCC), Russia, seeking income at any cost discredits the idea of cooperation with foreign investors itself, Context-Prichernomorie correspondent reports.

Official statement of the Port says it in reply to the information spread by National Container Company. Full text of the document is available at the agency’s disposal.

The statements in particular says “The actions of the administration of Ukrtranscontainer (founded by NCC) in June-July of the current year were directed at blocking the operation of the container terminal, violating the agreements signed with container lines and forwarders. These actions lead to breaking the deadlines in operation of the ships and cargoes, to losses of budget payments. A broad campaign has been started in the media aiming at discreditation of the leading container port of Ukraine and the Black Sea Region. Juggling the facts and economic indices some periodicals spread tendentiously represented information, thus deluding the citizens, the real current situation and the role of agreement No 435-O dated 22 June 2005 are distorted.

“To provide the community with true information, the port’s authorities officially state: execution of the agreement’s articles negatively impacted the port’s economic situation for the following reasons listed further.

The port’s contribution to mutual activities was many times underestimated. At the in some points it reached 37 times. According to the agreement the port was deprived of a possibility to invest in its own container terminal; the port does not influence the process of realization of investment projects, which is unacceptable for the container terminal functioning as a subsidiary of the entire port complex.

Not having created a single object, Ukrtranscontainer receiving income yet in 2006 using the capacities entirely belonging to the port. As a result the port’s share in money equivalent, thus its income for the terminal’s operation made ¼ too. Ukrtranscontainer has been growing proportionally to Illichivsk Merchant Sea Port’s losses”, — the statement says.

“By their actions and seeking super-profit at any cost, NCC discredits the idea of mutual cooperation itself of state-owned enterprises with foreign investors creating negative image for internationally recognized practice of state-private partnership”, according to the document.

“In spite of this, GE Illichivsk Merchant Sea Port will keep within the acting legal norms and its competence taking all possible measures to provide rhythmic operation of container capacities, their development, and improvement of the service level for cargoes and our partners transport”, the document summed up.