As Morski writes on the 28th of August, 2019, the Ministry of Maritime Affairs, Transport and Infrastructure has announced the second major investment in the improvement of the port infrastructure in the function of coastal maritime transport, and the signing of a grant contract for the project entitled "the upgrading of Sali's town port on Dugi otok", the beneficiary of which is the Zadar County Port Authority.

''The project of upgrading Sali's port on Dugi otok includes the extension of the existing port by re-constructing the coastline, arranging the coastal area along the newly built coastline, and creating a breakwater for protection against waves in order to increase the security of maritime traffic in the port of Sali,'' announced Minister Oleg Butković, who is due to arrive in Sali on Thursday.

The aforementioned intervention will provide a year-round transportation service and enable a better connection between Dugi otok and the mainland, the minister said, and continued:

''The implementation of this project will enable the better quality of public maritime transport, greater passenger safety, long-term sustainability, the improvement of the general quality of life, better transport connections between the island to the mainland, greater mobility and a positive effect on economic development. Improving the quality of Sali's port infrastructure will ensure the integration of Dugi otok into the wider transport network, which will boost local economic growth and positively affect the demographic picture, as well as the urban development of the island.

The objectives of the project are in line with local, regional, national and EU strategic documents in the transport sector, as well as with the operational program for competitiveness and cohesion (2014-2020),'' explained Butković.

The total value of the project is an enormous 56,764,614.59 kuna, of which the EU contribution is 48,249,922.40 kuna, and Croatia's national contributions amount to 8,514,692.19 kuna. The duration of the works is currently expected to be 52 months.

By signing this agreement, a total of 89,355,660.19 kuna will be invested in port infrastructure projects in Zadar County through EU funds, of which the EU contribution is a staggering 75,952,311.16 kuna, and the national contribution is an equally impressive 13,403,349.03 kuna.

''Zadar County has always been the intersection of numerous very important transport routes, supported by the current and planned investments of our ministry,'' added the minister, then going on to announce:

''The project of construction of the Tkon ferry port on the island of Pašman is underway, which will improve communication and connection with the nearby islands, all public procurement procedures have been completed and the works are proceeding in accordance with the plans which have been set out. Investments were made in the port of Gaženica. Then, there's the investment in the renovation of Liburnia Zadar's fleet, where European Union funds co-financed the procurement of 25 new buses, which will be available to the citizens of Zadar as soon as in September 2019. In addition, as part of increasing road safety, we're also investing in projects for solving black spots in Zadar County.

There are also plans to start upgrading, reconstructing and increasing the capacity of Zemunik Airport, and we're currently in the process of preparing documentation for the future establishment of railway traffic between the City of Zadar, Gaženica port, and Zadar Airport.

The fact that the ministry is also focused on further investments in Zadar County's transport projects, both nationally and through EU funds, speaks volumes about the importance of the realisation of all the above-mentioned projects. Therefore, today, we're witnessing the beginning of the implementation of another significant project in Zadar County, which will more effectively connect the citizens of this county,'' concluded the Minister of Maritime Affairs, Oleg Butković.

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As Morski writes on the 13th of July, 2019, the County Port Authority of Zadar is implementing its largest projects - the construction of a ferry port in Tkon, the total value of which is over 40 million kuna, and the construction of a fishing port in Kali.

Just the third phase of ongoing construction alone is worth 30 million kuna, which is the first port infrastructure project in the Republic of Croatia that is funded from European funds through the Operational Program of Competitiveness and Cohesion.

Works at the ferry port of Tkon were visited by County Prefect Božidar Longin, accompanied by his associates and the mayors of Tkon and the island of Pašman, Goran Mušćet and Krešimir Ćosić.

Works began back in March this year, and the current belief is that it will take 29 months to complete everything. Tkon's new ferry port should, after its completion, mark a significant step forward in the quality of transport for all residents and guests of the island of Pašman, according to Božidar Longin.

With the already secured funds, an embarkation and disembarkation area will be constructed, as will a boarding area, as will a dock to enable people to get on and off the vessels, and much more content can be expected.

''This is one of the key development projects for the entire island of Pašman. With this new ferry port, we'll be able to considerably increase the standard of services which will surely be an additional contribution to the development of tourism. With good cooperation with Zadar County and the ministries of the Government of the Republic of Croatia, we'll continue this development cycle and create new preconditions for the betterment of our municipality,'' said Tkon's mayor, Goran Mušćet.

County Prefect Longin was accompanied by Marko Kolega and Krešimir Laštro, who also came to look at the works on the construction of a fishing port at Vela Lamjana bay in Kali.

''Zadar County is proudly bearing the name of the most profitable Croatian county because we're definitely the leaders of the Adriatic in both catching and raising fish. But, we always have to look towards the future, and with the aim of further improving the conditions for our fishermen, we started building this fishing infrastructure,'' said Longin.

With the help of the Ministry of Agriculture's fisheries administration, fishing ports in Vela Lamjana and Gaženica will be constructed and modernised. Works at the fishing port in Kali have already begun, and works in Gaženica should start soon. Both projects are implemented by the Port Authority of Zadar.

''Both ports will, after the construction work, provide much better service to fishermen than they do in the current situation. In this way, we're supporting the further development of fisheries, which have a long tradition in Zadar County, and are especially important to the islanders,'' emphasised Robert Škifić.

The total contract value of construction works at Lamjana port stands at 29.6 million kuna with VAT, and the works there are expected to last for eighteen months. Works at the fishing port of Gaženica should start at the end of summer and last for about a year in total. The estimated value of those works, with VAT, is 24 million kuna. 100% of the non-refundable grants have now been received, of which 75% are EU funds, and the remaining 25% has been secured from national funds.

''In parallel with these two capital projects, a new fishing and ferry port in Biograd na Moru is also being planned. In this way, over the next couple of years, we should have a complete infrastructure solution for our fisheries sector,'' concluded Longin.

To briefly recall, the works on the ferry port in Tkon and the fishing port in Kali officially began in March this year, when the ribbon was ceremonially was cut by Prime Minister Andrej Plenković.

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