Mr. Nahum Ganzarski, president of the Israeli Chamber of Shipping pledged the chamber’s support for the government reform policies, now being negotiated with the trade unions.
In a speech before a large audience at the Tel Aviv Carlton Hotel, during a conference to discuss marine bills of lading, Mr. Ganzarski said that the chamber gave its full support to the reform thinking that the separation of the ports from the government would be beneficial to the economy even if, in the initial stages, the ports will become full owned government companies.
Mr. Ganzarski expressed his fears from the present political situation arguing that the present minority government will not have the will to go ahead with the ports reform bill.
Although the Chamber had several times expressed the shortcoming of the reform, the Chamber is willing to go along with the government to reach the goal of privatizing the Israeli port sector.
Mr. Ganzarski pointed out several shortcomings in the program:
1. The Government plans to set up a company to manage the assets of the ports authority. The chamber believes that the idea of an assets management company is not a good one and it might create a hurdle to the day today management of the ports. The Chamber believes that the management of the ports assets should be handed over to local municipalities who will lease the assets to the ports. In such a way a far better competition is guaranteed.
2. Mr. Ganzarski reiterated that the assets management company will be heavily involved in the supervision of the assets thus making the decision process within the port extremely difficult.
3. Ports tariff – the Chamber had not received any official papers outlining the government thinking on future ports tariffs. Members of the Chamber are worried that again the tariffs will be decided upon by the transport ministry with the continued adoption of cross subsidy policies.
