Greece Shipping Earnings Up 9 % in 2014

 

A report in ANSAmed says that the 2014-15 report further highlighted that in 2014 – the only year in the last seven when the Greek economy posted growth – shipping directly or indirectly provided employment to 192,000 people on- and offshore. 

 

It also underscored that the sector’s entrepreneurs last year started paying a voluntary levy to the state amounting to 420 million euros per annum, while since 2013 there has been a Greek tax on ships’ capacity, imposed also on foreign-flagged vessels managed by offices based in Greece.

 

“We have submitted to the state our desire and vision to contribute as a national strategic and productive pillar to the growth project that the country requires. However, we should not forget that, just like every investment in a context of fierce international competition, shipping needs a stable legislative framework, legal certainty and investment security,” noted the head of the association, Theodoros Veniamis.

 

"During the past year, the shipping industry had to face various challenges and continuous changes both at national and international level. Internationally, the volatility of the freight markets remained strong with differentiations within the industry’s segments, while the dry bulk sector registered historically low freight rate levels. The prospects for the coming year are unclear due to both the continuing imbalance between supply and demand as a result of the overcapacity of new ships and the uncertainty regarding the pace of increase of seaborne international trade," he added.

 

The Greek-owned fleet had shown a significant increase in capacity at the end of 2014 but a drop in terms of ship numbers. It accounted for 3,885 ships (of at least 1,000 gross tonnage), with a capacity of 284.77 million deadweight tons, or 17 percent of the global capacity. 

 

The Greek register had 798 ships, being the second biggest in the European Union and the seventh largest in the world.