The Greek authorities have finally unlocked the privatization of the port of Piraeus, near Athens, according responsible for privatization, quoted by Reuters news agency. While last year, Athens had retained the Chinese Cosco Group and four other candidates for a 67% interest in the infrastructure, Syriza radical left party had stopped the port privatization process after his election to the legislative in January.
Now, Athens offers to candidates, in a letter sent Wednesday night to take a 51% stake in the port, instead of the initial 67%, reports the official.
Only three out of five applicants – Cosco, the Dutch operator of container terminals and the group APM Terminals Philippines-based International Container Terminal Services – are still interested
Read the portrait” Captain Fu “, the Chinese who revived the port of Piraeus
The privatization of the port, the largest in Greece, has always consituté controversy in a country where trend was nationalized in recent decades. In 2008, the Chinese Cosco group had already taken a first part of the port, triggering a movement of anger among dockworkers. They have also threatened new social movements, in case of further privatization of the port.
This transaction is part of a larger program, relaunched under the previous government to bail out the state. In 2012, the Samaras government announced the concession of hundreds of properties belonging to the state, from the lottery (OPAP), vacant lots, regional ports . This ambitious plan was supposed to bring € 19 billion in the country by 2015. After his election in January, the Syriza party had put a stop to this program he considered liberal.
The recovery of this sale should be one of the major concessions made by Alexis Tsipras to the European Union and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as part of the ongoing negotiations for a new financial assistance.
Read also (subscribers edition): Feed-in privatizations in Greece
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