By reuniting the Port of Bar into a single and complete system, the company will be competitive and maximally operational again, said CEO Ilija Pješčić at the celebration of the company’s 117th anniversary.
Pješčić announced that in the first quarter, the Port of Bar achieved a transshipment of about 439 thousand tons and a total income of four million EUR.
He added that this year will also end with a positive financial balance.
“I build the foundation for my optimism on the announcements of new jobs and loads, as well as on constant efforts and activities to intensify current jobs.” This business year already showed in the first months how unpredictable port operations and maritime activities are and conditioned by a number of factors, starting from international conflicts to various disruptions on the goods market. Of course, we welcomed all of that,” said Pješčić.
He also pointed out that in the Port of Bar, which currently employs almost 600 people, continuous work is being done to improve all the aggravating circumstances for business.
“Infrastructure, mechanization, the traffic background of the Port of Bar – all of this is far from ideal, but we, in parallel with the successful completion of the usual tasks of our core business, are continuously working to improve all those aggravating circumstances for business. New machinery is being acquired, the structure of the operational shore of Volujica is being rehabilitated, we are intensively working on increasing the storage capacity by building new warehouses, we are raising the security level of the port to higher and higher standards, with our business partners both from the country and abroad, and we are working together to improve the logistics transport direction through Port of Bar”, said Pješčić.
What, he added, was recognized at absolutely all relevant addresses, is the need for the reunification of the Port of Bar into a single and complete system.
“Only in that operating model will the Port of Bar be competitive and maximally operational again.” As we know, the first steps have been taken by the Government”, said Pješčić.
For Port of Bar, as they reminded, last year was also a record year in terms of all business parameters.
The commemoration of Port of Bar Day was held at the Sidro Hotel, and according to established tradition, jubilee awards were presented to the workers of the largest collective in Bar, as well as to colleagues who have exercised their right to pension.
The President of the Board of Directors, Darko Pekić, especially thanked those who wove themselves into this company – the winners of the jubilee awards, pointing out that this year was also fruitful for Port of Bar.
“We can be proud of the financial results. There are also challenges – those that were in the past have now been partly overcome, but we still struggle with some of them today. The board of directors that I represent at this moment managed to start the systematization process last year, which was successfully completed in May of this year”, Pekić added.
The representatives of two trade unions, the president of the Port Bar Trade Union Organization, Alis Šabotić, and the president of the Port Workers’ Trade Union Organization, Vladimir Obradović, addressed those present.
Šabotić pointed out that Port of Bar Day is certainly a day for celebration, because it is one of the most important companies in Montenegro, but also a day when a small retrospective should be made between the two celebrations.
Obradović appealed to start thinking about restoring Port of Bar to a complete state and that no one ever thinks about the privatization of Port of Bar again.
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