25 years ago in view of lack of centralized management of marine transport on December 11, 1991 by the decision of heads of 18 state ports of Ukraine was founded an independent organization of dockers — Association of marine trade ports. Highly professional, experienced, far-sighted specialists of a port industry of the time were its founders. The Association set a goal: to represent and protect interests of its members in the state and other bodies, and also in the international organizations, to coordinate members’ activities for the purpose of increase the efficiency of their work (without intervention in their productive and business activity).
Today the Association of ports of Ukraine “UKRPORT” is one of the most authoritative public organizations in a maritime industry. More than 40 full members, including marine trade ports and also other entities of a marine economic complex are its part, and it is more than 32 thousand specialists of a maritime industry.
In December 2016 at an Association of ports of Ukraine “UKRPORT” members regular general meeting Yury Kruk was elected as the President of the Association for the second time.
Dmitry Romensky, the Deputy Minister of infrastructure of Ukraine, Anatoly Urbansky, the chairman of the Odessa regional council, the partners of the Association – Anatoly Kinakh, a former first Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine and the President of the Ukrainian League of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs (ULIE); Leonid Kostyuchenko, the president of the Ukrainian transport union, a former Minister of Transport; Vyacheslav Kislovski, the President of All-Ukrainian Association of Crewing Companies Transport, the representatives of the Employers’ Association of Ukraine, the members of the council of the Association of the ports of Ukraine “UKRPORT” participated in a celebration on the occasion of the 25th anniversary from the date of foundation of UKRPORT Association.
Yury Kruk, as the president of UKRPORT Association, noted that there were different times during the work of the Association. In 1991 when the Association was founded, Nikolay Pavlyuk was elected its first president. Upholding of priority and professionalism of adoption of solutions by public authorities which were proposed by toilers of a maritime industry was a main objective of the Association. In 1999 the Association stopped the existence temporarily, in 2001 it was revived. Then Vladimir Ivanov was elected its president, and the CEO was Victor Borisenko. Then in 2011 its activities were suspended again, and in 2014 the Association continued its work. It was necessary to undertake reforms in a marine industry urgently.
By the decision of the Council of the Association the founders of UKRPORT Association and the staff of 13 ports were awarded with diplomas for active participation in work and on the occasion of the 25th anniversary from the date of its foundation.
Also, outstanding employees of the industry were handed Certificates of honor of the Odessa regional council and an award of the Odessa city council and the mayor. In particular, Yury Kruk, Victor Borisenko, a former CEO of Ukrport Association, Stanislav Nezavitin, the chairman of the board of captains of Ukraine were Medal of the mayor awarded for merits for the city. The certificate of honor of the mayor was awarded the chief of Administration of the Black Sea seaport Gennady Skvortsov.
As the president of ULIE A. Kinakh noted, a role of the Association as a part of civil society is extremely big. “It is also impossible to allow creations of succession vacuum and connection between generations by experience, knowledge, ability to work for the benefit of an industry. The future of our country depends on it. And we shall use as much as possible that gold personnel stock which is in our country now.
Many high-ranking officials don’t understand that efficiency of development and overall performance of the specific entity depends not on a form of ownership, but from quality of management and a capability to create conditions for development. And it concerns especially a maritime economic complex of our country. It is already the time to come to the accurate and thought-over development strategy: to have a strategy and a development program of a maritime economic complex which shall be carried out irrespective of an environment and structure of the government. So do all countries. We should have an accurate management system, including Public service of marine and river transport. The problem with the existing maritime administration shall be solved on the basis of accurate functional approaches on separation of functions etc. And these problems should be solved in the constitutional civilized way”, – emphasized Mr. Kinakh.
Also, Mr. Kinakh handed Mr. Kruk a gold sign of the League of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs and Nikolay Pavlyuk was handed with a watch of the League.
Dmitry Romensky, the Deputy Minister of infrastructure of Ukraine congratulated the management of the Association on the 25th anniversary оn his own and on behalf of the Minister and emphasized that the purposes and tasks of the Ministry and the Association are the same.
As the Deputy Minister mentioned, the Ministry of infrastructure makes efforts for development of the maritime doctrine of Ukraine, and now it makes very serious efforts on creation of Maritime administration.
The resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers on creation of Maritime administration is seriously discussed at the level of the central executive bodies now. The main problem is attitude of the Ministry of Finance. And a serious lobby of dockers, representatives of a maritime industry in promotion of these documents is very important. We hope the task of the Minister of creation of Maritime administration will be solved in the nearest future, and we hope it will be created since January 1, and organizational work on its functioning will begin.
Also, according to the Deputy Minister, serious work on approval of a technique of the harbor fees is carried out. “Unfortunately, the administrative harbor fee increases almost by 10 times in the draft of the State budget, and now we seriously work on leaving these fees at the previous level. The work on reducing assignments from a net profit of ports from 75% to 50% is currently in progress.
Anatoly Urbansky, the chairman of the Odessa regional council wished the Association the state interfered with regulation of a business activity of ports as little as possible. “The fact that now the cost of disbursements remains at the level of 2016 it is not a victory, but only delaying of death of a maritime economic complex. The less will be regulation from the state in these questions, the more this industry will develop. A maritime economic complex and an agro-industrial complex are primary branches in Odessa region”, – he emphasized.
As the President of “UKRPORT” reported, within a year the Association, first of all, has worked on the main question – creation of Administration of marine and river transport of Ukraine. In March was held a meeting of the Council of the Association. And right after the meeting the recommendation letters were sent to the President, the Prime Minister and the Minister of infrastructure. “The concept which we had prepared was normally apprehended by the management. A reform and reorganization of Administration of seaports of Ukraine is extremely necessary for us. We hope the Cabinet of Ministers will support this reform until the end of the year. And it should be made as soon as possible”, – Mr. Kruk noted.
“Billions which dockers earn (harbor fees) have no right to arrive in the Ministry of Finance and to become a tax. The foreign fleet which comes pays taxes according to the intergovernmental agreement and double taxation can’t be applied. The harbor fees shall remain in ports, they are earmarked levies. The ports can deduct 10-20%, for example, to help ports who are lack of funds for dredging works and other. But not all earned money is to be given.
We have tens of problems we deal with now and will do it in the future. They want to take away a port auxiliary service fleet in the port of Odessa. It is also necessary to resolve an issue on hydroconstructions, on dredging works and so on”, – Mr. Kruk emphasized.
The director of SE “Ismail Sea Commercial Port” Andrey Yerokhin congratulated the attendees on the anniversary of the Association and emphasized that the Ukrainian ports on behalf of the Association and its head Yury Kruk received a serious push in work and strong support.
Vasily Kapatsyna, a former chief and the Honorary President of the Sea commercial port of Nikolaev during his speech emphasized that there are two problems in a maritime industry which set thinking very much what waits Ukraine as a seafaring country in the nearest future. “Actually in recent years we have a real crash in maintenance of strategic government institution.
I would suggest to write a public call to the President and the Prime Minister and to publish it in all newspapers. Our ports won’t survive in such conditions. We have already lost the fleet, but we can also lose our ports as a maritime economic complex of the country. This industry has the most enormous financial resource, but money isn’t implemented. A half of moorings are in a critical condition, and we can’t use the money.
There is a total fracture of structure and professional degradation. If we don’t speak about it, then we will be ashamed to gather for the next anniversary of the Association”, – Mr. Kapatsyna emphasized.
A former chief of SE “Odessa Marine Trade Port”, Nikolay Pavlyuk, the Honorary president of the port of Odessa, Hero of Ukraine noted that USPA shall be engaged in administrative functions, but the law isn’t executed, and nobody pays attention to it. There is no governing body of a maritime industry today. It is great that the Minister supports us today. But the Minister is only a figure; there are forces behind him which manage the industry. How could it be possible to take away a port fleet in the port of Odessa– the fleet which gives 80% of profit to the port? Hundreds of millions hryvnias which can’t be written off anywhere lie in the port of Odessa today. How can the entity work? There is an investment project which will allow to get 5 million dollars of a net profit a year, but it lies, is necessary to nobody, it isn’t wanted to be adopted. Cash lies dead-load because of inability of the management of the Ministry to resolve these issues. The hotel at marina – the landmark of the city, six years it stays without work, nobody finances it, and doesn’t want to sell. These questions should be brought up because not pensioners will help the budget but only our industry can help the budget”, – Mr. Pavlyuk emphasized.
Also Mr. Kruk reported about practical work of the Association for 2016 and in conclusion wished all the participants of the meeting Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
