“Viktor Berestenko emphasizes that the exclusion of transparent mechanisms from the selection procedure is not a matter of the system being unprepared, but a deliberate change of course”, — write: www.unian.ua
Viktor Berestenko emphasizes that the exclusion of transparent mechanisms from the selection procedure is not a matter of the system being unprepared, but a deliberate change of course
Chornomorsk port / photo seaport.com.uaThe head of the Association of International Freight Forwarders of Ukraine (AMEU) said the decision of the Cabinet of Ministers to postpone the mandatory use of the Prozorro system for public-private partnership (PPP) tenders is an alarming signal for business and international partners.
The expert expressed the corresponding opinion in a comment for Liga.Net.
As the publication notes, the government’s decision regarding Prozorro appeared on the eve of the likely start of a large-scale project – the concession of the terminals of the Chornomorsk port for a period of 40 years. The decision of the Cabinet of Ministers postpones the mandatory electronic bidding for large concession facilities until 2027. In fact, this opens a “manual” mode of transfer of strategic state assets to investors without public competition on the Prozorro platform.
The Ministry of Economy did not respond to LIGA.net’s request regarding the reasons for the high-profile decision, referring to a brief official explanation posted on the website. The clarification emphasizes that the implementation of Prozorro is delayed due to the need to develop 30 subordinate regulatory legal acts. However, it is not known at what stage the development of these documents is currently. The government assures: “After ensuring the technical readiness of the electronic trading system, the holding of concession tenders in Prozorro will be ensured in full.”
However, experts and representatives of specialized businesses question the exclusively technical nature of this delay. Viktor Berestenko emphasizes that the exclusion of transparent mechanisms from the selection procedure is not a matter of the system being unprepared, but a deliberate change of course. This issue is especially acute now, when the fate of one of the country’s largest ports is at stake.
The government expects that the investor will invest hundreds of millions of dollars in the port, and the state budget will receive more than $1.1 billion during the term of the agreement. However, industry experts are skeptical about the realism of these plans. The main obstacle is the war and the lack of security guarantees.
“Today, there are no real investors who are ready to invest in infrastructure for 40 years in conditions of daily attacks, instability and lack of guarantees,” the head of AMEU notes.
An additional factor of uncertainty is the geopolitical situation. Former Deputy Minister of Economy Pavlo Kukhta notes that the conditions for using the Black Sea water area and logistics routes may change drastically after the signing of the peace agreement between Ukraine and the Russian Federation.
“If the war ends in the coming year, the level of security in the Black Sea will be different, and cargo flows will be reoriented,” Kukhta notes.
As noted by Liga.Net, Ukraine already has experience in port concessions, which is currently difficult to call successful. Projects in the ports of Olvia and Kherson, which started in 2020, have been effectively halted due to hostilities. The concessionaires generally characterize the situation in the Kherson port as catastrophic and demand a review of the terms of the agreement.
Despite these arguments and risks, the government insists there is demand. Prime Minister Yuliya Svyridenko reported back in September that more than 40 leading international operators have allegedly declared their readiness to join projects in Ukraine.
However, according to Viktor Berestenko, head of the Association of International Freight Forwarders of Ukraine, the industry has not yet seen any confirmation of the declared “high interest” of foreign investors.
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