Independent journal on economy and transport policy
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PORTS
Federagenti, it is wrong even to hypothesize a privatization of the ports with the sole purpose of making money
Santi: privatizations have never produced exciting results in Italy
Roma
September 6, 2024
"I refuse to think that we can even hypothesize
a well-defined "privatization" of the ports with the sole
in order to make money". Alessandro Santi said,
president of Federagenti, the Italian federation of agents
seafarers, commenting on the hypotheses of privatization of ports
relaunched by government representatives. "The ports
Italians, with all their defects, and Italy - underlined
Saints - deserve something more in terms of politics and
development strategy and must be clearly stated as
strategy and the objectives behind this
project, if this is what it is, privatization."
According to Santi, before thinking about privatization, it is
It is essential to proceed step by step and carry out that reform of the
ports of which, after initial commitments, there has been no more talk for
months: "Today - noted the president of Federagenti -
We are talking again, and we agree on this, of a subject
able to plan interventions in individual ports
as part of a national planning and strategy. Yes
back to talk, or perhaps it is fair to say we would go back to
port holding company in which, in theory, they should
private subjects, or, more credibly, of a
transformation of some Port System Authorities into joint-stock companies,
subject to the acquisition of shares in the Italian port system by
of private subjects. But unanswered questions prevail,
such as, for example, the relationship between a
central ports, a holding company, and the numerous private entities that
already manage important terminals under concession in the individual
ports, generating potential conflicts of interest; In addition
the heterogeneity of port systems would generate problems of
potential marginalisation of an appreciable number of ports (and
authorities that govern them) that today carry out in any case
functions also important territorial ones".
"Italy," Santi continued, "is a country where
the long-awaited regulation system (suffice it to say that the
lack of concession regulation has become
element of European weakness in the debate on the PNRR) struggles to
take shape with the risk of making a leap forward without
having previously defined and built the foundations for implementing it. At
In our opinion, it is also difficult to apply the
comparison with the airport model, which is in any case based on
concessions, but with much less territorial and economic effects
complex and profound than what happens with ports".
"Having said that I believe that the strategic infrastructures of the
country should be under public control and that the
privatizations have never produced results in Italy
exciting - concluded the president of Federagenti - the
"Take the money and run" concept by selling off shares
of the port, without a precise analysis of the effects
of this choice, in my opinion, has little
credibility and I hope and believe, as a port operator, that the
Too many rumors circulated about this alleged efficiency project
are subject to prior analysis to avoid further
waste of time that would be added to those accrued in these
years".
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