1 October 2009
Conference "Beyond the crisis outline. New routes of water transport development"
"Beyond the crisis outline. New routes of water transport development" The participants of the Conference "Beyond the crisis outline. New routes of water transport development" discussed how to stabilize work and improve efficiency of the activities in the sphere of sea and river transportation amid the crisis and post-crisis period. The Conference supported by the RF Ministry of Transport was held within the framework of a business program of the 10th international exhibition «NEVA-2009»The key report, that of Aleksei Klyavin, Director of the Department for State Policy in Maritime and River Transport, RF Transport Ministry, was dedicated to the priorities of the national policy in this sphere. He said Russia will interact with other market players in all directions. Aleksei Klyavin, Director of the Department for State Policy in Maritime and River Transport: As of today, Russia-EU transport dialogue is dedicated to cooperation in the sphere of maritime transport and inland waterways. Aleksei Klyavin also underlined that navigation, development of river ports and consequent opening of the country’s inland waterways for vessels flying foreign flags, will be based on mutual agreements and cooperation with other countries. According to the general opinion, the crisis touched all the spheres of the water transport, though to a different extent. Aleksandr Shcherbinin, expert on transport assets: We have already passed the bottom, as our government likes to put it, so today we see the growth of cargo flow in container business: the Far East, China and India ships quite a lot of cargo and I think the end of the year will be more successful… Though Russia ports still demonstrate positive dynamics (transshipment is up 6.5%, year-on-year), many shipping companies suffer considerable losses. Igor Pankov, deputy Director General of Sovcomflot: The companies had to cut wages, lay off vessels, fire seamen … The first wave of the crises was got over by Sovcomflot without any severe losses owing to long-term contracts and earlier chartered vessels for mid-2008 prices. However, this economic stability is an exception for shipping business. Aleksandr Shcherbinin, expert on transport assets: There are certain losses but we continue working with our customers as we are quite optimistic about our shipping business next year. Will the new priorities of the national policy in the sphere of water transport help to find a way out of the crisis? Experts have different forecasts. It will take more than a year or two to reach the results of the first half of 2008. Aleksandr Shcherbinin, expert on transport assets: I think we will return to former shipping volumes in three years, which is in 2012 - 2013. The conference subject in many aspects reflects current issues of transport business. The companies change their strategy, search for new directions and launch long-term projects. Igor Pankov, deputy Director General of Sovcomflot: As for new vectors of development, we consider two ways. Neither of them is a new one but they integrate into new directions today, which are Arctic and industrial projects. The participants of the conference also discussed the impact of the financial crisis on construction and development of port complexes, tariff policy, taxation and investment activities in the water transport sphere. Primary sponsor
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