Turkmenistan, Ashgabat, 16 April / Trend H.Hasanov /
At a recent government meeting, the management of the Central Bank (CB) of Turkmenistan put forward proposals on the allocation of credit by the Central Bank to offer available funds in foreign currency for projects at the international sea port in Turkmenbashi and merchant marine facilities under the Civil Service of Maritime and River Transport, an official Turkmen source said on Monday.
Last year the General Development Plan until 2020 specifying an international sea port in Turkmenbashi on the Caspian Sea and Turkmen merchant marine facilities was approved. A relevant decree was signed by President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov.
The document was adopted in order to successfully implement the 'National program of socio-economic development of Turkmenistan for 2011-2030', the accelerated development of maritime and river transport in the country and radical diversification of industry, as well as creating new jobs.
According to experts, a full scale reconstruction of the sea port in Turkmenbashi will require investments of several billion U.S. dollars.
Among the priorities are the construction of new marine terminals with multi-purpose berths able to accommodate vessels of any type and capacity and accordingly, stores for processing and storage of goods in transit and the execution of export-import operations, equipped with powerful loading and unloading equipment.
Sea transportation is becoming increasingly important in the country's foreign and economic relations, The volume of cargo handled at the berths of the Caspian harbour, through which the country receives industrial and agricultural equipment, automotive equipment, metal products, wood products, mineral fertilisers are sent abroad. The demand for polypropylene, coke and other petroleum products chemical and construction industry is growing.
Dozens of foreign companies expressed their desire to participate in the reconstruction and technical modernisation of sea harbour in the city of Turkmenbashi. Recently it became known that this expensive project became of interest for the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the Japan International Cooperation Agency.
The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) has already signed a memorandum of understanding with the government on the modernisation of the port city of Turkmenbashi on the Caspian Sea.
A large scale project envisages the construction of a container terminal, one for bulk and general cargo with digital processing of orders, construction of a ship repair and building complex and a passenger station with a bus station and control tower of the port's control service. There are also options for a phased reconstruction of the existing ferry terminal at the port and the expansion of a cargo complex handling polypropylene.