Sakellis (SEEN): the Greek companies of ferries forgiveness more than 25 million to the month



Because of the impact negative on the economy and the social activities of the pandemic of Covid-19, currently the Greek companies of navigation that operate services ferry forgiveness beyond 25 million euros to the month and, moreover, of 55 million the aids that the government of Athens has allocated for year 2020, the companies of the field have received only 31 considering are of the deduction of the Vat are of the fact that only 25% of the aids have been destined to the ferries. It has emphasized today Michalis Sakellis, president of the SEEN, the association of the Greek companies of ferries, illustrating the relationship for 2020 to the shareholders' meeting of the association that this year completes the 100 years of founded life on April 30, 1921 being.

Sakellis has complained that 2021, the first year of a decade that - it has looked on to - will be perhaps most difficult in the history of the marine transport, the field anticipates already losses that exceed 130 million euros. While - it has found - the Greek companies of ferries are facing a first half of the 2021 that does not seem will be at all better than that of 2020, without to exclude - it has specified - that can be quite worse. In the season in course - the president of the association has explained - the traffic turns out diminished of 70%, while the price of the fuel of the ships is increased of 65%: "we have estimated - Sakellis has announced - than in the current period our companies spend 15 million euros to the month in order to cover the costs of the fuel when, on the same routes, in April 2020 have expenses nine million euro".

Sakellis has denounced moreover that the value of contracts of public service stipulated in order to tackle to the sanitary emergency would have to be increased of +75% taking into consideration the actual costs of operativity of the ships. We estimate - it has rimarcato - "than the cost of the fuel at the expense of our companies for the January months and February of 2021 will pile to 30 million euros, while the aid previewed from the Covid contracts is of 6,8 million euros".

The president of the association has perceived that the situation does not seem destined to improve in the next few months, so much so that - has specified - "regarding the summery season, the forecasts are that tourism in entrance will be of 50% about inferior to 2019, forecast - has specified - still uncertain because of the developments negatives of the pandemic. It is therefore sure - he has observed - than us attends a year negative with turned out weak people in terms of traffic and, obviously, with financial results in loss, a reduced liquidity and a greater indebtedness".

"Besides said how much - it has continued Sakellis - we have in front of we the obligations for the adaptation of our ships to the environmental normative new and our engagement face to improve the energetic print of the ships and to reduce the emissions of co2 of 55% within 2030. It is sure - it has found - that the operating costs of the ships will increase with the introduction of the ETS, that is with the purchase of quotas emissions to costs that we cannot calculate and with the burden of the prices of the fuel more the taxes. Moreover it will be necessary to invest in the existing ships and, clearly, the cost of the construction of new ships will increase in meaningful way. In more, it is not famous if and when it will be possible to have use of alternative fuel for the ships that serve our islands".

"The studies that we have realized - have added then Sakellis - these problems evidence with clarity, that they are very famous. Our partner European has comprised the importance of the transports and the necessity of free mobility as prerequirement for the development of the Member States of the EU, but they must also comprise the determined specificities of our Country from its insulare conformation. We must therefore convince them that, because of its insulare structure, our Country must be dealt in various way from the other Countries that do not have a marine transport or they have it to a small degree. The suspension in order at least a decade after 2030 of the measures for the internal transport of Europe - it has found the president of the SEEN - seems to be necessary and it would have some to be discussed. Moreover we must think to the implementation of analogous measures for the European international marine transport".

"In alternative, to the aim to avoid the increase of the operating costs that will affect the transport costs - it has continued Sakellis - I consider indispensable that in the next few years Equivalent" to all the passengers transported from our lines of ferries is discussed seriously about the issue of the sovvenzionamento of the costs of the fuel and the extension of the measure of the "Transport. I want to emphasize - the president of the association has said - the great importance of the introduction of the Equivalent Transport here, that it is a model that in future will constitute sure the main instrument in order to strengthen the field and the competitiveness of our services".

Sakellis has been stopped also on the issue of the renewal of the fleet: "another great problem of the current decade - it has explained - is renews of our marine fleet. Today the medium age of our ships is 27,32-year-old and of those under convention of 29,9. In 2030 the average will be 37,32-year-old, and for those under convention of 39,9, and more than 42 ships will have beyond 40 years, while 18 will have more 50-year-old, what that never has not happened in our field of the shipping from at least 40 years. Sul international market - it has specified then Sakellis - not is small ships that satisfy the severe environmental criteria but adapted also to the modality of transport of the ferries and therefore will have to be constructed new ships".

Sakellis therefore has listed a series of demands to the government formulated by the SEEN in order to allow with the companies represented from the association to return the impact less devastating on their budgets of the sanitary crisis, between which they figure the inclusion of the marine transport in the reduced shares Vat of 13%, the extension of the winter season 2020 to the months to the months of April and May, the reduction of 20% of the harbour costs for freedoms of expression, April, May, November and December of 2020 and for January 2021, reduction that SEEN considers however would be opportune to be extended for all the year in course.

Between the demands already received, the president of has manifested appreciation for the possibility to stipulate contracts of public service of the maximum duration 12-year-old, extension - the association has evidenced the president - that will contribute positively to the important issue of renews of the fleet.

Relatively to the activity of the Greek companies of navigation on the international routes, Sakellis has remembered that, for services marine in the Adriatic, the SEEN has demanded the application of measures in order to strengthen the competitiveness of the Greek ships regarding those Europeans.