As he stressed: “There were two measures and two weights, as the unemployment benefit for seafarers was almost half that of the unemployed on land. This was unfair. And while Ministers in the past had promised them that they would correct this injustice, no one had touched the issue since 2017. It is a concern of the government and the Ministry of Shipping and I am glad we were able to move it forward.”
Regarding the new institutional framework for the security of ports and ships, Mr. Kikilias noted that a relevant bill has already been submitted to Parliament, aiming to create a strong state control arm. “The bill was submitted today to Parliament and will be voted on next week. It concerns the arm of the state, of security control – preventive and suppressive – in our ports, in everything related to legislation.
That is, the control of law enforcement in the ports is very, very important for coastal shipping, cruises and ferry shipping. Various things have been heard from time to time about illegal trade. We should not be running after the problem, but proactively there should be an Authority that can move quickly, decisively and check that everything is lawful in our ports. Security for citizens is very, very important and very high in their priorities.”
Referring to inter-island connections and the unprofitable lines, Mr. Kikilias underlined that “168 million euros, over four years in a closed tender, are running right now for inter-island responses and connections, as well as from mainland Greece to our islands.
So, they have multiplied. At one time, it was 20 and 30 million euros that the state spent for the connection of our islands.” In this context, he noted the importance of stable and reliable coastal shipping coverage for small and remote islands, which is a strategic priority for the Ministry of Shipping and Island Policy.
