Luka Koper Gets 35-Year Port License

Ljubljana, 10 July

The government adopted on Thursday several regulations on the management of the port of Koper, Slovenia's sole seaport, granting port operator Luka Koper a license to manage the port for another 35 years.

Transport Minister Radovan Zerjav pointed out after the session that the legal relationship between the state and Luka Koper had been in limbo since the adoption of the maritime code in 2001.
The licence contract adopted today will replace a 2000 tenancy agreement which should have been terminated after the maritime code was passed.
The licence contract envisages a yearly concession fee equaling at least 3.5% of revenues. According to Zerjav, this means that Luka Koper - of which the state is the majority owner (67%) - will pay around EUR 3.5m in concession fees a year.
Zerjav explained that half of the payment would go to the state and half to the Koper municipality, also a minor shareholder.
The licence, which is granted for 35 years, still needs to be confirmed by the annual general meeting of Luka Koper, which is expected to take place in August.
The company already welcomed the news today, its CEO Robert Casar saying the amount of the concession fee seems acceptable since it still enables development projects to be implemented.
Zerjav highlighted among the provisions of the agreement the fact that a larger part of responsibility for the port's management is being transfered to the state.
The state is becoming the legal operator of the port. After the agreement runs out, it will become the owner of the entire infrastructure of the port.
The minister also explained that the state was not thinking about withdrawing from Luka Koper and that the adoption of today's bills and agreement was not connected to negotiations on a logistics holding with German rail operator Deutsche Bahn.

Luka Koper Gets 35-Year Port License

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