SSG No 10 - Shipgaz

SHIPPING AND SHIP MANAGEMENT
within the Norwegian maritime community,
as commitment in new ships has
reached an all-time high level. Even the
interest in maritime education has been
rekindled as the industry has managed to
show its career potential.
In Sweden the unaccountable delay in
introducing a tonnage tax has led to a waitand-see
attitude. Meanwhile, new vessels
ordered in 2003/04 at reasonable prices are
now coming out from the shipyards. Commercially,
the larger players have become
stronger.
Finland as a nation has not taken much
interest in stimulating its maritime industries,
leaving its main foreign trade in the
hands of Dutch and other carriers. Shipping
companies in the Baltic countries and
Poland have all managed to renew tonnage
at higher prices.
Slowly harmonising
There is a slow but consistent process
towards introducing tonnage tax systems
based on the EU guidelines. Various versions
of the tonnage tax has been in operation
for years in Denmark and Norway; a
new beneficial system is replacing the old
one in Norway this year. Similarly, Poland
introduced its tonnage tax system last year,
as did Lithuania and Latvia.
In Sweden, where there has been a broad
political support for a tonnage tax, the
bureaucracy has been allowed to drag its
feet and avert the introduction for years.
This leaves Finland and Estonia, where
“shipping” seems to imply ferries and road
transport and the importance of a national
maritime community had gained little
political heed. Too bad, as both countries
are virtually islands as far as transport infrastructure
is concerned.
New opportunities
Some 15 years after the collapse of the
Soviet bloc, a new maritime industry
structure has evolved around the Baltic.
The strength has largely been skilled maritime
labour at reasonable costs, as well as
shipyards and repair facilities. This has
opened new opportunities for building
maritime competence that in time might
be developed to operational and technical
management, particularly based on close
links with the Scandinavian maritime
cluster.
WORLDWIDE
SPARE PART
DELIVERIES
FOR SHIPS
MOTOR-SERVICE SWEDEN AB
Address Mölna Fabriksväg 8, SE-610 72 Vagnhärad, Sweden
Telephone +46-(0)156 340 40 Telefax +46-(0)156 209 40
E-mail sales@motor-service.se Website www.motor-service.se
In Sweden, where there
has been a broad political
support for a tonnage tax,
the bureaucracy has been
allowed to drag its feet
and avert the introduction
for years.
Also, the shipping industry has survived
the painful transition from state-owned
giants to slimmer commercial operations,
and a new shipping industry focused on
shortsea shipping is developing along the
south coasts of the Baltic. The industry
structure has only been bolstered by the
recent cycle of strong markets. This promises
well for a continued development of
the maritime sector in the Nordic Baltic
region, serving efficient and environmentally
sound sea transport based on maritime
competence and commercial vigour.
dag bakka jr
24 SCANDINAVIAN SHIPPING GAZETTE • MAY 16, 2008