Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti dedicated the entire day to the Western Ligurian Sea Ports, and seized the opportunity to meet with the shipping community in both Vado, at the APM Vado Gateway Terminal, and in Genoa, at the Port Authority headquarters in Palazzo San Giorgio.
Received by the Ports of Genoa President Paolo Emilio Signorini and the Secretary-General Paolo Piacenza, Minister Giorgetti viewed the development programmes, presented by the delegates of the port terminals, freight-forwarders and ship agents industry associations, implemented across the port cluster of Vado Ligure, Savona, Prà and Sampierdarena.
"I was struck by the vibrancy of the port shipping community," commented the Minister upon his arrival at Palazzo San Giorgio, escorted by pilot boat by the Commander of the Port of Genoa, Admiral Sergio Liardo," and by a commitment to invest heavily along this coastline. Investment is the key word and must play a prominent role in the development of the ports which represent a vital component of the economic development of the country. The government is ready to support the private investment programmes with the completion of the major public infrastructure plan underway in Genoa and Savona-Vado. All the investments require a firm commitment, on the part of both the local and central establishment, 'to build the infrastructure as soon as possible', not merely a slogan but our mission. Today I am pleased to have seen that the groundwork has been laid for us to do a good job."
President Paolo Emilio Signorini declared: "In the aftermath of the tragic collapse of the Morandi Bridge, the Port Authority has been working in close cooperation with Mayor Bucci and the Liguria Region to implement a far-reaching sizable public investment programme to serve both the port and the local economy, featuring the introduction of a wide range of major infrastructure projects which are now set to take shape. Construction is on schedule to start on both the new breakwater and the Fincantieri shipyard expansion. We are also working on three important issues: the allocation of post-Covid benefits for dockers and road-haulage companies, application for the Covid-19 National Restoration and Resilience Fund grants and in particular those dedicated to accelerating the ecological transition in the ports."