During the Ukrainian Port Forum-2018 on May 31st, the country launched a new World Bank supported technical assistance funded by the Public-Private Infrastructure Advisory Facility (PPIAF) to improve the position of its port sector for more private investment.
Ukraine wants to improve its logistics sector and enable more international trade. This requires urgent modernization of Ukraine’s 13 seaports and an overhaul of the current outdated port management model.
The technical assistance launched will help Ukraine identify key areas to focus on as it reforms its port sector. The assistance will deliver a review of port sector legislation, an assessment of the current state of port infrastructure, and a review of the current governance structure, along with a roadmap to help move the sector to a full landlord model.
Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority CEO, Raivis Veckagans, mentioned:
Sea port reform has been ongoing since 2013 with the separation of operational and administrative activities. Since that time Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority has set ambitious goal to significantly increase current handling of 130 million tons of cargo per year, achieve European standards of service, and promote Ukraine as an important player on existing and emerging global trade routes.
The Public – Private Infrastructure Advisory Facility (PPIAF) is a multi-donor technical assistance facility, financed by 11 multilateral and bilateral donors. Its mission is to help eliminate poverty and increase shared prosperity in developing countries by facilitating private sector involvement in infrastructure.
Last week, the Ukrainian Sea Port authority (USPA) joined ESPO as an observer member. ESPO Chairman, Eamonn O’Reilly noted that the Black Sea is a very important part of Europe’s maritime network. For this reason, the Ukraine’s Association Agreement with the EU, including the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area, will make Ukraine’s ports an important part of the wider European transport network.
