SSG No 10 - Shipgaz

SHIPPING AND SHIP MANAGEMENT
The Stena Primorsk at the heart of Sweden’s capital Stockholm.
Swedish shipowners have lost
patience with the new Swedish
government. The lack of a proposal
for a tonnage based tax scheme has
triggered industry representatives to
make things plane – no tonnage tax,
no new vessels under Swedish flag.
SWEDEN
The year 2006 was a good year for
most Swedish shipowners. Reports
show healthy results and positive
outlooks for the coming year, or even
years. The belief in the future is also reflected
in one, for Sweden, large orderbook
with some 40 newbuildings to be delivered
this year and next year.
By the end of last year, the Swedish merchant
fleet consisted, according to the
Göteborg based Institute of Shipping
Analyses, of 602 vessels aggregating 12.5
million deadweight tons and 11.4 million
GT. Of those, 222 vessels of 2.45 million
DWT and 3.8 million GT flew the Swedish
flag. The renewal of the Swedish-flagged
fleet continued during 2006. At year-end,
the average age for the Swedish-flagged
Owners
frustrated over
tonnage tax delay
fleet was 16.1 years, while the foreignflagged
fleet is slightly younger. During the
year, 27 vessels left the Swedish registry,
while 24 entered. While a small fall in
numbers, the new entries often replaced
older, smaller units, leading to an increase
in deadweight.
Black clouds
There is however some black clouds on the
horizon, one being the absence of a
Swedish tonnage tax issue. This is rather
hard to understand. The question was first
raised in the parliament ten years ago.
Since then, some 30 bills have been passed,
proposing the introduction of the tonnage
tax, or at least to investigate the matter.
The former red-green government also
launched an investigation that filed its
findings more than a year ago. The proposal,
favouring an introduction of a tonnage
tax, has been circulated for consideration
of parties concerned and scrutinized by the
Ministry of Finance. Still there is no sign of
a proposal.
What makes it even more confusing is
that the question is absolutely uncontroversial.
A Swedish tonnage tax system is
SHIPS ON ORDER
CONFIRMED FEB 1, 2007
Ship type Number
Tankers 33
PCTCS/LCTCS 6
Ro-paxes 5
AHTS 2
Bulkers 1
Ro-ros 1
Country of build Number
Croatia 10
Russia 9
China 6
South Korea 6
Turkey 6
Germany 5
Norway 2
Spain 2
Finland 1
Netherlands
Total: 48 vessels of about 1.4 MDWT
1
Source: Scandinavian Shipping Gazette
supported by all parties in the parliament,
where the current government also is in
majority, and the leading conservative party
in time of opposition also filed a bill
74 SCANDINAVIAN SHIPPING GAZETTE • MAY 21, 2007
ROLF P NILSSON