Haifa Port: NIS 100M profit in first year of port reform

The Haifa port company released last week a summary of its activity for 2005. The financial summery indicate a profit of NIS 100 million in its year of activity since the ports reform
 
In a press release the Haifa port management said that the port posted NIS 750 million in revenue since the port reform was carried out in February 2005.
 
According to the report container traffic was up 8% to 1.12 million containers. The Haifa Port handled in 2005 68% of Israel’s container traffic, compared with 30% for the Ashdod port.
On the other hand, the Haifa Port handled only 18% of Israel’s general cargo (conventional cargo), while the Ashdod Port handles 78% of the total.
 
Altogether, Israel’s ports handled 37.6 million tons in 2005: 56% through the Haifa Port, and 38% through the Ashdod Port.
 
A port spokesman added that over the next five years the port was planning to invest NIS 3 billion in developing the Haifa Port. The investment will include the construction of the first stage of the Carmel Port.
 

Haifa Port chairman David Hermesh added that the port had put up a goal to turn the port into a regional hub enabling large container ships to transfer containerized cargos to smaller container ships feeding neighboring ports.