A cargo ship carrying more than 3,000 tonnes of metal products was temporarily unable to operate at the Giurgiulești International Free Port because the vessel’s draft exceeded the river’s water depth.
According to Prime Minister Vasile Tofan, the water level measured 4.15 meters, while the ship’s draft was 4.3 meters, preventing normal operations. Although the company found a solution at its own expense by arranging cargo transshipment, it was reportedly redirected between several state institutions, with no authority assuming responsibility.
The cargo is valued at approximately 40 million lei, while the state stood to collect around 6.6 million lei in VAT, Tofan said during the government meeting.
“In such cases, I understand that manual intervention may be required. But this is an important issue involving significant sums of money, including blocked VAT revenues, and it should be treated as a priority,” the Prime Minister stated.
Tofan did not specify which institutions were responsible or how long the vessel had been delayed, but he drew Infrastructure Minister Vladimir Bolea’s attention to the case while presenting several complaints submitted by entrepreneurs regarding bureaucratic obstacles and alleged excessive state controls.
At the end of the government meeting, Prime Minister Vasile Tofan and Infrastructure Minister Vladimir Bolea announced that the issue had actually been resolved on July 28. The vessel has since been cleared to proceed and is currently unloading its cargo.