Koper, 19 December (STA) - Luka Koper plans to up the amount of cargo it will handle next year as well as subsequent revenue, the port operator said on Wednesday. The group plans to generate EUR 243m in sales revenue and handle 24.7 million tonnes of cargo in 2019, which is up 8% and 3%, respectively, compared to this year.
Transshipment at the Koper port is projected to top 23.8 million tonnes this year, which is up 2% compared to 2017, and Luka Koper's group revenue is to reach EUR 224.6m, up 6%, the company said in a press release.
A downward trend is however expected in the profitability, as net profit is to drop from the expected EUR 56.9m this year to EUR 38m in 2019.
The figure will be affected by higher labour costs due to the implementation of a new business model of working with port service providers and due to the expected costs of a new tax on transshipment for the second rail track between the port and the inland hub Divača.
According to the release, the model for working with port service providers envisages 307 new employments, 346 temp-agency workers and cooperation with external providers in certain areas.
The port operator will go on an significant development drive after it managed to obtain a building permit for extending a pier, a key strategic investment, Luka Koper said.
It has also obtained permits for constructing a new Ro-Ro berth and building a group of tracks in the same area, while a new entrance for trucks is already being built.
Overall, the group plans to invest EUR 71.7m next year, of which EUR 69.8m will be investments by the core company.