Port Objects Require Privileges

03.06.2008 (18:52)

In May 2008, Rosmorport completed its first five-years working plan. Speaking about perspective activities, the Director of the enterprise Yury Parfenov emphasizes building of Ust-Luga port, work on Olympic projects and renewal of icebreaking fleet.

– Mr. Parfenov, what are peculiarities of the Rosmorport’s investment program in 2008 and its differences from the one of 2007?

– This year the program of renewal of Rosmorport’s material base includes total investments of 12.5 bln roubles. The largest part of the sum is to be invested from Russian federal budget. We will get 8.5 bln roubles from the federal budget to carry out federal programs on seaports infrastructure development. Own and borrowing costs of Rosmorport will make about 1.4 billion rubles. The rest part of the program will be financed at the expense of attracted means of private investors (2.6 bln roubles).

The biggest part of means will be invested into programs of Northwest region port infrastructure development, including Ust-Luga port – 34% from total investments volume. The share of the Big Port St.-Petersburg will make about 16%. We plan to carry out considerable works on building and reconstruction of the federal property in this port. The share of investment into port Kaliningrad amounts to 8.8%. Thus, more than a half of all means of the Rosmorport investment program will be invested into infrastructure objects of three ports of Northwest sea basin.

This year we should carry out design works on federal property objects for the sum of 100 million roubles. It means reconstruction of berths №12, 13, 14 and bank protection of Heads of the Neva gate, and Gutuevsky basin to create of operational water area and approaches to reconstructed berths. Design works on berth complex for ice-breakers port anchorage building and berths №25, 26 and 28 reconstruction will be carried out.

The feasibility study should be carried out for the following objects: the Kronshtadt ship waterway canal, the St.-Petersburg sea canal (including approaches to berths № 3 and № 4 of Oil harbor and № 106 and № 107 of Coal harbor), Korabelny (Ship) canal, Lomonosovsky canal with approaches to berths of the Lomonosovsky cargo terminal.

– The Law “On seaports” came into force recently. It concerns renting of port infrastructure objects from the state. Could you comment on the difficulties which appeared after the law was put into operation?

– Adoption of the federal law on seaports was a long- expected event. It made considerable correctives in our plans on renewal of those berths rent contracts, the terms of which were over.

This law determines new approaches to conditions and the order of conclusion of contracts envisaging rent of federal property in seaports. For example, according to this law, term of federal property rent is 49 years, if tenant doesn’t determine a shorter term. This point is a preference for potential tenants. It is necessary to develop all conditions of rent contract to provide balance of all parties’ interests.

Berths rental contracts prepared in 2007 need corrections to meet all requirements of the new law. Consequently, additional procedures are needed to revaluate rent, as well as to develop effective ways to protect interests of an enterprise and the state.

– It is necessary to adopt sublegislative normative acts for effective functioning of the law “On Seaports”. What measures are taken?

– The plan of preparation of acts on Federal law “On Seaports” provides eight sublegislative normative acts. Besides, federal executive authorities should adopt the same quantity of normative acts which will regulate relations concerning commercial navigation in Russian seaports. It doesn’t include the decision concerning delimitation of seaports frontiers establishment, decisions on building or expansion of seaports taken by the Government of the Russian Federation and other state bodies.

Concerning the question of rent relations, it is necessary to note that according to requirements of Article 31 of the federal law, federal bodies should develop and adopt procedure of rent of seaports federal property owned by federal state unitary enterprises. This procedure is still not adopted.

– What can you say about dialogue of all interested parties?

– We get our partners to take part in formulation of documents which are interesting for all parties. We discuss some statements, taking into account opinion of our colleagues. For example, we plan to adjust rent according to the rate of inflation following the federal law on the budget for the next fiscal year, use the right of the lessor and revise rental rate each 3 years. These points raise debates. However, we are sure that these points of contracts are aimed at not only interests of our enterprise, but protection of state interests.

– New port duties rates caused many discussions…

– The problematic of this question includes two issues. Firstly, inflationary processes are the factors influencing the level of any prices and tariffs for production and services. Obviously, it will begin to influence the volume of the port duties raised in seaports.

Secondly, the enterprise carries out federal programs of seaports infrastructure development. With the framework of these programs we are building new seaports objects and reconstruction of the operating ones which are important for stable functioning of Russia’s port complexes. The duties are considered by representatives of port administrations, stevedores and regulatory bodies during last two years.

Anyhow, any infrastructure construction is expensive. Operation of port infrastructure objects is invested from special budgets in many countries.

Rosmorport doesn’t get subsidies to compensate a part of exploitation costs. Therefore, these expenses are included into rates of port duties. We haven’t tax advantages which could reduce port duties. The tax code doesn’t provide them for such objects. The tax component in the rate of corresponding gathering is also considerable.

We believe, that it is necessary to provide advantages for these port objects, because many objects are federal property. Branch authorities support us, but situation doesn’t change.

It means that exploiting costs on new objects will be compensated at the expense of the rates of port duties.

– You said that Rosmorport is monitoring port duties. What is the purpose of these actions?

– We analyze quantity of calls. Current standard-legal regulation is not static, it should be improved. It is necessary to do it taking into account the facts. So, nowadays it is clear, that despite port duties the quantity of calls increased by 26%. It proves that we chose the right way of development.

Interviewed by Tatyana Ovcharova
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