Workers Oppose Privatisation Of Paraguayan Airport

Workers Oppose Privatisation Of Paraguayan Airport

ASUNCION, July 22 (BERNAMA-NNN-PRENSA LATINA) -- Paraguay's international airport workers are against a bill to privatise the facility, warning that it is doomed to failure.

Jose Villalba, leader of the Operational Union of Airport Workers, cited statements by president elect Horacio Cortes who said that he was in favour of including the private sector in the airport's administration.

Cortes' statements coincided with the visit to Paraguay by a group of businessmen, believed to be vying for the project.

Villalba said that a public-private joint venture does not benefit the people, as the company managing the airport would have to charge more, say, parking fees to cover its costs.

He also said that concessions by the airport and airlines in other South American nations resulted in economic losses to the countries involved, as the case of Argentinian Airlines, which had to be recovered by the State.

He regretted that the ghost of privatisation emerges in times when the nation had been carrying out investments to improve the airport infrastructure, with annual allocations of US$5 million.

"We are open to dialogue", he said.

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