Greece looks at privatising ports

The cash-strapped Greek government has decided to privatise its ports. It has called for tenders to privatise the ports of Piraeus and Thessaloniki, with plans to allow private operators in another 10 ports. The privatisation programme announced by the Greek government included rail and road transport, airports and utilities. Aimed at attracting the private sector, the Greek government is proposing shareholdings ranging from minority stakes of less than 34% to controlling stakes of 51% or more. A tender process for the sale of 67% of the shares of the Piraeus Port Authority was announced in March with an invitation for the Expression of Interest. The sale of 67% of the shares in the “Thessaloniki Port Authority” was launched in April.