Cyprus to create shipping advisory body
President Demetris Christofias has reaffirmed the government’s support to the island’s shipping industry, stating that all efforts will be made resolve any problems faced by the sector.
One of these measures will see the creation of a joint body that will coordinate all aspects of the maritime industry and advise the president on all maritime issues, both from a commercial as well as political point of view.
One of the ideas put to the two previous Transport Ministers by shiponwres’ groups had been need for the creation of a chamber of shipping that would promote the interests of the ship owners and ship managers, as well as the seafarers and any business or public group involved in the development of the maritime industry.
In a meeting with members of the Executive Committee of the Cyprus Shipping Council ahead of the shipowners’ 19th annual general meeting last Friday, Christofias was briefed about the current areas of concern for the shipping industry, as well as the promising prospects for the sector, provided that problems are resolved.
“The Turkish embargo, as well as other matters such as taxation and the social security for EU seafarers on Cyprus ships, have been included high in my list of priorities,” Christofias later told the CSC AGM held in Limassol.
He said “the development of merchant shipping does not only take on important economic dimensions but it also has political consequences,” adding that “in a small state, part of which is occupied, the fact that the Cyprus flag is hoisted on ships across the globe is indeed very meaningful.”
Even more so because of the embargo imposed by Turkey preventing the entry and mooring of ships flying the Cyprus flag in Turkish ports.
President Christofias also said that “the inclusion of our flag in the White List of both the Paris and Tokyo Memoranda of Understanding on port state control was the result of the policy implemented by Cyprus and this achievement has reinforced the international community’s trust in Cyprus and the Cyprus flag.,”
He announced that “the government is considering setting up a coordinating body among all interested stakeholders in Cyprus shipping, both from the governmental and semi-governmental sectors, as well as the private sector, which will be advising the government on general shipping policy matters, as already stated in our government programme.”
President Christofias said that “the government will continue to support every effort towards the further promotion of Cyprus as a shipping centre.”
“Nevertheless Cyprus does not relax in its own vigilance. On the contrary, the international maritime environment is highly competitive and any relaxation can only have negative implications,” he said.
“Cyprus has all the experience and potential, in terms of both material and human resources, not only to continue to offer high quality shipping services, but also to raise its position even higher as a shipping centre of exceptional importance, with a fully developed infrastructure.”
House of Representatives President Marios Karoyan told the CSC that it would have the full support and cooperation of parliament.
He said that “the long presence of so many foreign investments in Cyprus through the local shipping industry creates conditions of an increasing commercial security, whilst the specialised employees of different nationalities, who are employed by these companies, become the best ambassadors of our national problem abroad.”
Karoyan noted that “within the EU, our country has the prospects to improve even more the services that it provides as a shipping centre and to upgrade the quality of its fleet, while at the same time maintaining the high number of vessels registered in its own shipping register,” adding that “the shipping sector should be the epicentre of every strategic planning which concerns new opportunities for the Cyprus economy in the future.”
Communications and Works Minister Nicos Nicolaides said that restrictions imposed on Cypriot flagged vessels by Turkey cause problems in the shipping sector.
“Cyprus is considered one of the largest third-party management centres worldwide, with more than 40 companies operating ships from the island and more than 90 shipping related companies”, the Minister said.
The Cyprus fleet is the tenth largest worldwide and the third in Europe, comprising 16% of the EU fleet, Nicolaides said, adding that its performance has dramatically improved over the past years.
“Cyprus must create additional alliances in the EU, besides the cooperation that exists with Greece and Malta,” he said.
On the issue of environmental protection, the Minister said that by adopting a new maritime policy with a series of strict measures, focusing on the enhancement of maritime safety and security, Cyprus was removed from the Black Lists of the Paris and Tokyo MoUs on Port State Control, and it is now classified on the White Lists.
Cyprus, he said, is the second state which has been audited under the IMO Voluntary Audit Scheme, after Denmark, crediting the CSC for this achievement.
One of these measures will see the creation of a joint body that will coordinate all aspects of the maritime industry and advise the president on all maritime issues, both from a commercial as well as political point of view.
One of the ideas put to the two previous Transport Ministers by shiponwres’ groups had been need for the creation of a chamber of shipping that would promote the interests of the ship owners and ship managers, as well as the seafarers and any business or public group involved in the development of the maritime industry.
In a meeting with members of the Executive Committee of the Cyprus Shipping Council ahead of the shipowners’ 19th annual general meeting last Friday, Christofias was briefed about the current areas of concern for the shipping industry, as well as the promising prospects for the sector, provided that problems are resolved.
“The Turkish embargo, as well as other matters such as taxation and the social security for EU seafarers on Cyprus ships, have been included high in my list of priorities,” Christofias later told the CSC AGM held in Limassol.
He said “the development of merchant shipping does not only take on important economic dimensions but it also has political consequences,” adding that “in a small state, part of which is occupied, the fact that the Cyprus flag is hoisted on ships across the globe is indeed very meaningful.”
Even more so because of the embargo imposed by Turkey preventing the entry and mooring of ships flying the Cyprus flag in Turkish ports.
President Christofias also said that “the inclusion of our flag in the White List of both the Paris and Tokyo Memoranda of Understanding on port state control was the result of the policy implemented by Cyprus and this achievement has reinforced the international community’s trust in Cyprus and the Cyprus flag.,”
He announced that “the government is considering setting up a coordinating body among all interested stakeholders in Cyprus shipping, both from the governmental and semi-governmental sectors, as well as the private sector, which will be advising the government on general shipping policy matters, as already stated in our government programme.”
President Christofias said that “the government will continue to support every effort towards the further promotion of Cyprus as a shipping centre.”
“Nevertheless Cyprus does not relax in its own vigilance. On the contrary, the international maritime environment is highly competitive and any relaxation can only have negative implications,” he said.
“Cyprus has all the experience and potential, in terms of both material and human resources, not only to continue to offer high quality shipping services, but also to raise its position even higher as a shipping centre of exceptional importance, with a fully developed infrastructure.”
House of Representatives President Marios Karoyan told the CSC that it would have the full support and cooperation of parliament.
He said that “the long presence of so many foreign investments in Cyprus through the local shipping industry creates conditions of an increasing commercial security, whilst the specialised employees of different nationalities, who are employed by these companies, become the best ambassadors of our national problem abroad.”
Karoyan noted that “within the EU, our country has the prospects to improve even more the services that it provides as a shipping centre and to upgrade the quality of its fleet, while at the same time maintaining the high number of vessels registered in its own shipping register,” adding that “the shipping sector should be the epicentre of every strategic planning which concerns new opportunities for the Cyprus economy in the future.”
Communications and Works Minister Nicos Nicolaides said that restrictions imposed on Cypriot flagged vessels by Turkey cause problems in the shipping sector.
“Cyprus is considered one of the largest third-party management centres worldwide, with more than 40 companies operating ships from the island and more than 90 shipping related companies”, the Minister said.
The Cyprus fleet is the tenth largest worldwide and the third in Europe, comprising 16% of the EU fleet, Nicolaides said, adding that its performance has dramatically improved over the past years.
“Cyprus must create additional alliances in the EU, besides the cooperation that exists with Greece and Malta,” he said.
On the issue of environmental protection, the Minister said that by adopting a new maritime policy with a series of strict measures, focusing on the enhancement of maritime safety and security, Cyprus was removed from the Black Lists of the Paris and Tokyo MoUs on Port State Control, and it is now classified on the White Lists.
Cyprus, he said, is the second state which has been audited under the IMO Voluntary Audit Scheme, after Denmark, crediting the CSC for this achievement.