"I refuse to think that we can even hypothesize a well-defined "privatization" of the ports with the sole in order to make money". Alessandro Santi said, president of Federagenti, the Italian federation of agents seafarers, commenting on the hypotheses of privatization of ports relaunched by government representatives. "The ports Italians, with all their defects, and Italy - underlined Saints - deserve something more in terms of politics and development strategy and must be clearly stated as strategy and the objectives behind this project, if this is what it is, privatization."

According to Santi, before thinking about privatization, it is It is essential to proceed step by step and carry out that reform of the ports of which, after initial commitments, there has been no more talk for months: "Today - noted the president of Federagenti - We are talking again, and we agree on this, of a subject able to plan interventions in individual ports as part of a national planning and strategy. Yes back to talk, or perhaps it is fair to say we would go back to port holding company in which, in theory, they should private subjects, or, more credibly, of a transformation of some Port System Authorities into joint-stock companies, subject to the acquisition of shares in the Italian port system by of private subjects. But unanswered questions prevail, such as, for example, the relationship between a central ports, a holding company, and the numerous private entities that already manage important terminals under concession in the individual ports, generating potential conflicts of interest; In addition the heterogeneity of port systems would generate problems of potential marginalisation of an appreciable number of ports (and authorities that govern them) that today carry out in any case functions also important territorial ones".

"Italy," Santi continued, "is a country where the long-awaited regulation system (suffice it to say that the lack of concession regulation has become element of European weakness in the debate on the PNRR) struggles to take shape with the risk of making a leap forward without having previously defined and built the foundations for implementing it. At In our opinion, it is also difficult to apply the comparison with the airport model, which is in any case based on concessions, but with much less territorial and economic effects complex and profound than what happens with ports".

"Having said that I believe that the strategic infrastructures of the country should be under public control and that the privatizations have never produced results in Italy exciting - concluded the president of Federagenti - the "Take the money and run" concept by selling off shares of the port, without a precise analysis of the effects of this choice, in my opinion, has little credibility and I hope and believe, as a port operator, that the Too many rumors circulated about this alleged efficiency project are subject to prior analysis to avoid further waste of time that would be added to those accrued in these years".