Remisova Criticises Planned Sale of Winter Port Site to UAE Investors (2)

Bratislava, 4 August (TASR) - The government is preparing to sell the strategic assets of Bratislava's Winter Port to Arab investors, opposition MP Veronika Remisova (Slovakia-For the People) warned on Tuesday. Speaking at a press conference, she criticised the planned €170 million transaction, the liquidation of the Winter Port and the intention to transfer the land to investors from the United Arab Emirates without any open tender. "Fico's government bought back port assets for €170 million that the state privatised around 24 years ago for approximately €12 million," Remisova said. She argued that the state had purchased obsolete equipment, worn-out railway tracks and cranes, while the prime minister had already known at the time of the purchase that the Winter Port was to be dismantled to make way for a multi-billion-euro property development by Arab sheikhs. "We describe this politically as the theft of the century," she said. According to Remisova, the state borrowed €165 million to finance the acquisition of the port facilities, while annual interest payments of €8.1 million exceed the income generated from leasing the assets back to the SPaP port operator and boat carrier. Following the transaction, the company reported a net profit of around €96 million. She also called on Transport Minister Jozef Raz (a nominee of Smer-SD) to publish the valuation report, the loan conditions and other details of the deal. Remisova said the Winter Port and the Palenisko site are functionally interconnected. Railway tracks, roads and utility networks within the Winter Port also serve other sections of the port. If the existing infrastructure is removed and the Winter Port is dismantled, the state will have to build new railway lines, roads, utility networks and replacement port capacity. The framework agreement envisages an investment of at least €250 million in a new port at Palenisko and at least €1 billion in the redevelopment of the Winter Port site. Remisova criticised plans to implement the projects without a standard public procurement process, open tender or any other competitive selection procedure. Under the agreement, the government also undertakes to adopt the legislative and administrative measures necessary for the projects, ensure the issuance of the required permits and, where necessary, amend decisions already taken. As a warning, Remisova cited the Belgrade Waterfront project in Serbia, which she said had been criticised for a lack of transparency, the absence of an open tender and had triggered mass protests. She also referred to a planned project in Budapest that faced public opposition over concerns about its terms and was ultimately abandoned. In her view, these cases demonstrate the risks of large-scale investment projects awarded without open competition. The MP also announced her plan to file a criminal complaint over the transaction and request an audit by the Supreme Audit Authority. In addition, she intends to submit a complaint to the Public Procurement Authority and ask the European Commission to assess the exemptions from competitive tendering. Former head of the Inland Waterways Department Matej Vanicek called on the government, the Transport Ministry and Bratislava Public Ports to halt steps leading to the closure of the Winter Port. He argued that shutting it down without an adequate replacement would restrict inland water transport and the operation of the Danube port. According to Vanicek, the solutions presented so far do not meet the requirements for a full replacement of the existing port capacity. NOTE: This story has been extended to include the final three paragraphs mf