President backed adoption of law on inland water transport

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy supports the adoption of the law on inland water transport, which provides for the development of a cheap type of freight transportation and preservation of Ukrainian roads, he stated during a working trip to Kherson region.

During a conversation with media representatives, the President noted that the state now invests billions of hryvnias in the repair and construction of highways, and then overloaded grain trucks destroy the roadway.

"The country should have several ways of transportation. Water transport is one of the cheapest types of transportation," the President said.

According to the Head of State, the draft law on water transport is being considered by the relevant committee of the Verkhovna Rada (Parliament), but there are disputes among MPs about its final version.

"I am confident that we will pass this law, and this type of transport, which we really need, will start working. And we will develop shipping and transportation," Volodymyr Zelenskyy stressed.

The Presidential Office noted in a statement that the adoption of the law would increase the cargo flow up to 35 mln t per year, preserve the roadway and save UAH 1 bln for the road repair in the coming four years. The document, if adopted, will provide permanent financing of safe river infrastructure, will stimulate shipbuilding and restoration of Ukrainian enterprises and jobs, as well as will open access of foreign-flagged ships to inland waterways of Ukraine, which will facilitate the development of international trade.

Previously reported that in 2019/20 NIBULON’s shipping company transported more than 3.8 mln t of various cargoes by inland waterways, having exceeded the previous marketing year’s result by 9%.