Money for ports

Government ministers have agreed to invest 300 million euros, between now and 2006, on modernising Portugal’s main harbours and introducing cargo handling specialisation, according to Public Works Minister António Pedro Carmona Rodrigues. Speaking about the Terminal XX1 port at Sines, Rodrigues revealed the fact that concession holder Port of Singapore Authority had selected Sines, guaranteeing that the harbour would become an important port on global sea routes delivering goods to the European hinterland. He also explained that the aim of planned investment is to introduce national, rather than local, development logic, saying: “It makes no sense for each port to handle containers, bulk and liquid shipments. Rather they should be specialised.” The biggest investment will be in ports at Lisbon, Sines (south), Setúbal (south), Leixões (north) and Aveiro (north).