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ATHENS—China Ocean Shipping Group Co., known as Cosco,
and Hutchison Port Holdings submitted bids to take over
container operations at the Piraeus Port Authority SA,
Greece’s biggest port.
Cosco,
which has its headquarters in Beijing, and Hong-Kong
based Hutchison submitted the bids to the Piraeus Port
Authority, Greece’s Merchant Marine Minister George
Voulgarakis said Friday. The deadline for the bids was
Friday.
“I would
like to believe that the same interest will be shown for
the Thessaloniki Port Authority,” said Voulgarakis. The
deadline for bids at the Thessaloniki Port Authority is
May 14.
The
Greek government, which controls the authority, wants
private investors to take over some container operations
to help finance improvements to its cargo-handling
capacity.
Dock
workers opposed the plan by abstaining from overtime and
weekend work since January.
The
walkouts have cost
Piraeus Port
weekly revenue losses of €1.5 million, or $2.3 million,
chief executive officer Nikolaos Anastasopoulos said on
April 14 at a press conference.
Greece
plans to have chosen private managers for
Piraeus
and for Thessaloniki Port Authority, the country’s No. 2
port, in July, with a view to sign concession contracts
by the end of the year. (Bloomberg) |
