TO hours of expiration the concession of the Paraná-Paraguay Waterway –concludes this friday 30-, on Wednesday night the Executive Power extended its concession, as reported to Clarion official sources.
The extension is for a 90 day period and it was provided in a resolution that was issued by the Minister of Public Works Gabriel Katopodis, who was temporarily signed by the Ministry of Transport while the name of the successor of the late Mario Meoni was defined.
The extension was to be made by presidential decree. But when Katopodis was left with the signature delegation, the official was able to dictate the resolution.
Minister of Public Works, Gabriel Katopodis.
The decision of the Executive Power is known in the midst of the offensive of the ruling Senate bench to statize that waterway, exit door of 80% of Argentine exports.
But the government is heading full throttle in another direction.
In the resolution signed on Wednesday night by Katopodis, it is stated that the Ministry of Transport can “adopt the necessary measures in order to guarantee the continuity of the navigation of the trunk waterway until the winners of the new call for bids assume the operation of such services “.
Likewise, pressure is maintained from key members of the Instituto Patria, the ruling Senate bench, which it does not move without the endorsement by Cristina Kirchner, to advance another scheme.
They argue that it is a historic opportunity for the State to “regain” control of the Hidrovía.
José Mayans, head of the Upper House’s Frente de Todos bloc, spoke in the last days with Sergio Massa, president of the Chamber of Deputies. Also with Máximo Kirchner, head of the Kirchnerist bloc of Deputies.
The Formosan senator conveyed to both that “the block is against “ of the scheme in which a concession would be advanced to a private company – as up to now – but with the novelty of greater control of the State.
What the senators want is for the Hidrovía to be directly managed by the State and for it to be the one that collects the tolls from the ships.
The current rate is around $ 3 per ton of cargo that they transport.
Total the business invoices more than 300 million dollars per year, according to official sources.
In addition to senators, there are also provinces with interests in the Waterway that press due to a fundamental change in the current scheme. This is the case of the government of Axel Kicillof.
Toll
A minister from a province that encourages the Waterway to pass into the hands of the State pointed out: “Control of toll collection is central”.
And he explained that what they propose is to outsource the dredging, marking and signaling of the inland waterway.
“It would be like when you tender the garbage collection service and the State charges and pays for the service”, described that official.
In that province they also maintain that what has been agreed so far would be precisely that, that the State collect the tolls.
But in the Casa Rosada, other governorates and in the massismo – the recently deceased Minister of Transport Mario Meoni responded to Sergio Massa – they repeat that progress will be made in a new tender.
“It is an exclusive decision of the President. Alberto wants to tender“, they said to Clarion in the Executive Power.
And they completed: “The sectors that propose the opposite have neither interference nor weight “.
The same sources said that the “Balance” in the ruling coalition and that the Ministry of Transport will continue under the control of massismo.
Sergio Massa with the late Minister Mario Meoni.
Cereal companies and export companies resist the state charging tolls. They maintain that with the current scheme the concessionaire has funds to carry out the necessary works.
“What companies say is that with the State the bureaucratic hurdles they would be great and the works would be delayed “, they trusted in a province of the interior.
Among the sectors that encourage the State to collect the toll, they argue that in this way it will be known in detail what is transported and evasion would be avoided.
“It would be like a customs control “said a defender of nationalization.
What nobody is talking about at the moment is changing the current toll flat rate scheme.
The concession has been held for 25 years by the consortium formed by the Belgian Jan de Nul and the local Emepa.
According to reports, Jan de Nul would not maintain its partnership with Emepa in the future tender.
Its owner, Gabriel Romero, declared in court as repentant in the cause of the bribery notebooks and would be a “burden” for the Belgians.
Although the specifications for the new tender have to be defined, there are Pressure shipping companies and grain companies to deepen the draft of the Paraná River and take it from the current 34 to 38 or even 40 feet.
The greater depth would allow Panamax-class supercarriers to navigate.
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source https://pledgetimes.com/hidrovia-amid-pressure-from-kirchnerism-to-nationalize-it-the-government-extended-the-concession/
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