New shipping register platform reduces bureaucracy

As of today, online services at niologio.hcg.gr have reduced the required 34 signatures (from three ministries) and 5-6 months' time for registration to 9 signatures and no more than 10 days following publication in the Government Gazette. A special one-stop service at the Shipping Ministry will receive and manage applications, while other services are simplified, with the collaboration of the Finance Ministry as of April to improve the time required to go through customs procedures.

"The purpose is to introduce measures that support the competitiveness of Greek shipping," Moussouroulis said, and reduce obstacles "like the bureaucracy, which under current competition is not friendly to shipping business."

Veniamis called for dialogue with seamen, the National Seamen's Union (PNO), officers and all involved in this effort. "If there are 100 applications for a Greek flag registration tomorrow, could we deal with that?" he asked. While economic conditions were difficult globally, he expressed optimism about Greek shipping.

The Greek merchant marine is the 7th largest in the world in terms of transport capacity, according to IHS Fairplay World Shipping Encyclopedia for 2012. Data from the Greek Shipping Co-operation Committee said ships sailing under a Greek flag had dropped from 980 in 2008 to 862 in 2012, while 718 shipping companies had branches in Greece. It added that 14 billion euros in foreign currency came to Greece in 2011, over 15.4 billion in 2010.

Meanwhile, during a meeting on the same day, representatives of the seamen's pension fund (NAT) called for the retraction of the omnibus bill on restructuring the Shipping Ministry, because they said it would reduce the number of pensioners and the fund's revenues.