Vladyslav Kryklii: The AMCU permit for the concession of the Kherson port proves the readiness of the Ukrainian State to attract strategic investors

The AMCU's permit for the Kherson Sea Commercial Port concession confirms the readiness of the Ukrainian State to attract strategic investors. This was stated by Minister of Infrastructure of Ukraine Vladyslav Kryklii in his comment on the decision of the Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine on granting a permit to Risoil-Kherson LLC for the concession the Kherson Seaport.

“The permit of the AMCU for the concession of the Kherson port confirms the readiness of the Ukrainian state to attract strategic investors. In the situation with Risoil-Kherson case, we could demonstrate that the concession project had been prepared in accordance with the best international practices of public-private partnership and that the competition had been conducted in a fair and transparent manner. The positive decision of the AMCU proves that the project of concession of the Kherson port, as well as of the port of Olvia, was of high quality in compliance with the highest international standards in line with the current national legislation. Ukraine is ready to propose and implement promising concession projects in the field of transport infrastructure,” said Vladyslav Kryklii.

As was reported, the winner of the concession competition in the Kherson Sea Commercial Port was the Risoil-Kherson LLC, which is to invest UAH 215 million.

An important condition of the concession agreement was the need to obtain the AMCU's concentration permit.

In late January 2020, the AMCU received an application for the indirect acquisition of control by LLC Risoil-Kherson, by obtaining in concession, over assets in the shape of a single property complex belonging to the State Enterprise "Kherson Sea Commercial Port" (Kherson, Ukraine) and SE "Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority" (Kyiv, Ukraine) and together exercise business activities in providing stevedoring services in the Kherson Sea Commercial Port.

Taking into account that the concentration does not entail monopolization or significant restriction of competition in the commodity markets of Ukraine, the AMCU granted permission for the declared concentration.