New schedule for Greek port privatisation

Under the new schedule, the first half of next year rather than the second half of 2015, will see action peaking in the privatisation programme. It will concern the utilisation of the Piraeus and Thessaloniki port authorities, as well as that of railway companies Trainose and Rosco.

Both China’s Cosco and Denmark’s APM Terminals have expressed a keen interest in Piraeus Port Authority, but this project appears to be a particularly thorny issue, especially given internal wrangling in the Syriza-led coalition government. Many of the party’s MPs, including Shipping Minister Dritsas, a member for Piraeus, are against selling-off the port’s administration.

Indeed, the in-fighting could see Prime minister Alexis Tsipras, being forced to call another national election before the end of the year.