Freight terminal of Giurgiulesti port to be ready by autumn

With the oil terminal and grain terminal operable, the freight terminal at the Giurgiulesti Free International Port will start to be used in autumn, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy Valeriu Lazar said, when presenting information about the port’s work in the June 15 meeting of the Government, Info-Prim Neo reports. Valeriu Lazar said that the volume of freight transported through the Giurgiulesti Free International Port has increased and is expected to total 1 million tonnes towards the end of the year. “Several years ago, 1 million tonnes shipped through the port seemed an unrealistic idea, but now it is close to coming true,” stressed the minister. Twenty-nine resident companies currently operate on the territory of the Giurgiulesti Free International Port. Two new companies have been registered this year. The port now employs 282 persons, as against 214 in the corresponding period last year. The investments made in the port so far came to US$47 million. The port taxes collected added up to 5.6 million lei, up 24.2% compared with the same period of 2010. Retail trade increased significantly. There were paid taxes of 24.1 million lei. According to Valeriu Lazar, when the freight terminal is put into operation, it will be impossible to extend the Giurgiulesti Free International Port as the 60 hectares of land needed to develop it have not been transferred to the port’s authorities. The land is mainly privately owned. It was to be bought or changed for other plots of a similar value, while the cadastre bodies were to legalize the necessary documents. The Deputy Prime Minister requested the Agency for Land Relations and Cadastre to return to the issue and solve it by autumn. A logistics terminal is to be built at the next development stage. Valeriu Lazar informed that there are a number of offers from foreign investors.