The company Montecon aspires to compensation of 600 million dollars from Uruguay as “losses and damages”, considering that there were “anti-competitive practices” in the Port of Montevideo following the agreement signed between the government and Katoen Natie, majority partner of Silver Account Terminal (TCP) in February 2021.
The Chilean company Neltume Ports, owner of Montecon and whose shareholders are from the Chilean Overseas and the Canadian Atco, will request international arbitration, as anticipated by the weekly Busqueda. To define the amount of 600 million dollars, the firm takes into account an estimate of the damage against it due to operations in the port since the government extended the concession for 80 years to TCP.
From Montecon considered in a complaint where Defense of Competition ruled in favor of Executive that “the participation of the National Ports Administration (ANP) As a partner of TCP, she has been decisive for the State to take privileged measures in favor of this company, when the laws required it to work in a regime of free competition with other port operators. “The State is judge and party.”
The ANP assures that the proposal “has no relevance”
Montecon’s claim did not surprise the government and the president of the ANP, Juan Curbelo, He came out to clarify that “the Uruguayan State acted in accordance with current regulations, which is why, in dialogue with Radio Carve, he indicated that “this proposal has no legal relevance.”
Curbelo He stressed that the Chilean company constitutes “an important port operator of public docks and we intend to keep it that way,” which is why he admitted that they will advance in negotiations, although always within current regulations.
Finally, the leader insisted that “the State’s position is solid” regarding the claim and pointed out that “there is no possibility of compensation in any way.”
From the Frente Amplio they accused the government of “doing things wrong”
Upon learning of the situation, the senator Frente Amplio, Charles Carrera Leal, He pointed out from his X account that “from April 21, 2021 we knew that until April 21, 2024 Montecon had a deadline to sue “Uruguayan State” and called now to “articulate the best defense for the country’s interests and not lose 600 million dollars.”
“Unfortunately things were done wrong here,” he questioned. Loyal career, who anticipated that, if an adverse result were to occur, “the responsibility will be purely and exclusively the government for having delivered the Port of Montevideo to the enterprise Katoen Natie, violating all port regulations.”
“If there is something missing from this government, which promised us the best 5 years of our lives, it is to make the Uruguayan State lose its first international arbitration,” concluded the legislator.
Source: Ambito
