Today, Russian ports are meeting only 75% of the national economic demand for handling foreign trade cargoes. Adjacent countries do the rest.
Mr. Zhusupov said that the investment program for the ports' development intends doubling the handling volume to 520 million tons by 2010. In 2003 the Russian ports handled 285.6 million tons of cargoes, or 10% more than a year before, Serik Zhusupov said.
Over six months in 2004, they handled 160 million tons of cargoes, or 120% of the first half of 2003. Following results of this year's performance, the increment in cargo handling is planned to increase by 20%.
As for expenses on the development of Russian ports, over 5 billion rubles ($1 equals 29 rubles), 1 billion of it from the budget, went for these purposes in 2003, Mr. Zhusupov said. In 2004 5 billion rubles, 2.5 billion from the budget, is planned to be put to use.
"The volume of financing for 2005 has not yet been approved", the ministerial spokesman said. The expected figure is 6.5 to 7 billion rubles.
