On 12th November 2010, Grzegorz Napieralski, an MP and leader of the Democratic Left Alliance, paid a visit to the Szczecin and Świnoujście Seaports Authority, accompanied by Dariusz Wieczorek, leader of regional party structures, and Jędrzej Wijas, a candidate for the mayor of Szczecin. Guests met with representatives of the board, port companies and the Council of Szczecin Seaport Stakeholders.

Jarosław Siergiej, the Chairman of the Szczecin and Świnoujście Seaports Authority, presented the current situation in the ports, focusing on issues related to the interpretation of the VAT Law; an interpretation which diminishes competitiveness of the ports if compared with other ports on the Baltic Sea, as well as disparity in fees for perpetual lease of port land. In ports of Gdańsk and Gdynia rates are ten times lower than in Szczecin and Świnoujście. This has a major impact on the financial situation in operating companies, since virtually they incur higher cost.
The discussion also focused on the need to provide active support for the idea of including the Central European Transport Corridor in national and EU policy papers, dredging of the fairway between Świnoujście and Szczecin to a technical depth of 12.5 m and issues pertaining to the Nord Stream pipeline project.
Participants agreed that in Warsaw, where strategic decisions are made, strong lobbying is required to promote the maritime sector and all initiatives strengthening the development of the Zachodniopomorskie Region.
 

Wojciech Sobecki
Spokesperson
Szczecin and Świnoujście Seaports Authority