Governo grego nega que esteja a planear a privatização do porto de Pireu / Finance Ministry backs Cosco deal in Piraeus, not further privatization

Governo grego nega que esteja a planear a privatização do porto de Pireu

MARLENE CARRIÇO 11-2-2015 OBSERVADOR

O governo grego voltou a garantir que a alienação da participação maioritária do porto de Pireu não irá avançar. O The Wall Street Journal noticiou na terça-feira que o governo tinha recuado.

O Ministério das Finanças grego negou esta terça-feira que esteja a planear a alienação da participação maioritária (67%) no porto de Pireu, depois de o The Wall Street Journal ter vindo dizer que a decisão de privatização do porto seria anunciada pelo ministro das Finanças, Yanis Varoufakis, na reunião extraordinária do Eurogrupo de quarta-feira, dia 11 de fevereiro

Segundo o jornal grego Ekathimerini, o ministério destacou, porém, que está “positivamente inclinado” para o acordo existente com a gigante chinesa de transporte marítimo Cosco, que há vários anos opera naquele porto e no terminal de contentores.

A 27 de janeiro, o secretário de Estado grego Thodoris Dritsas tinha dito à Reuters que o governo iria congelar a venda do porto. “Nós não iremos vender uma participação maioritária no porto de Pireu”, disse Dritsas à Reuters. Mas na terça-feira, fonte do ministério das Finanças grego disse ao The Wall Street Journal que “a venda do Pireu está viva. Vai continuar como planeado”.

Finance Ministry backs Cosco deal in Piraeus, not further privatization

http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w_articles_wsite2_1_10/02/2015_547092

The Greek Finance Ministry denied on Tuesday that it is planning to go ahead with the sale of a 67 percent stake in the Piraeus Port Authority (OLP) after a report suggested that the privatization would take place.

The ministry emphasized, though, that it is "positively inclined" to the existing deal with Chinese shipping giant Cosco for the container terminal.

"In reference to publications regarding statements by a Finance Ministry official on the privatization of the Piraeus Port Authority, the position of the ministry on this particular issue is that it is positively inclined toward the existing contract with Cosco," the ministry said. "There was no reference to the issue of OLP."

The statement comes following a report in the Wall Street Journal refuting earlier statements by a Greek government official that the sale of the port authority will be put off and that the Cosco agreement would be reexamined.

“The Piraeus sale is on. It will proceed as planned,” a senior Finance Ministry official reportedly told the US newspaper.

On January 27, the deputy minister in charge of shipping, Thodoris Dritsas, had told Reuters that the government would be freezing the sale.

"We will not sell a majority stake in Piraeus port," Dritsas told Reuters. "The Cosco deal will be reviewed to the benefit of the Greek people."

ekathimerini.com , Tuesday February 10, 2015 (15:59)