National Shipping Chamber initiates introduction of ship utilization grants in Russia
National Shipping Chamber (NSC) has initiated the introduction of a ship utilization grant in Russia, IAA PortNews journalist cites Rishat Bagautdinov, NSC member and Chairman of Volga Shipping Company’s BoD as saying at the V international forum “Marine tourism”.
According to Rishat Bagautdinov, this initiative has already been supported by the Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Industry and Trade.
A ship utilization grant is a lump-sum payment to a shipping company utilizing its old fleet. It can be used exclusively for the construction or a purchase of a new vessel. This grant should become a part of a federal programme on the construction of new fleet.
“It will let us meet two challenges – renovation of the national fleet and the development of Russian shipbuilding industry as well as related industries,” emphasized Bagautdinov.
According to NSC, the calculation of the ship utilization grant should be based on deadweight, gross tonnage, passenger capacity and power of a vessel.
The amount of the ship utilization grant should make at least 10% of the new vessel cost, Rishat Bagautdinov thinks.
If the ship owners’ initiative is backed by the RF Government, Russia will obtain a modern fleet with improved safety standards and energy efficiency, higher comfort of passenger accommodation, enhanced control automation and passenger capacity, he says. The fleet development will entail generation of new jobs in Russian shipping/shipbuilding/ship repair companies as well as in the sphere of tourism services.
It should be noted that the volume of total allocations to budget and off-budget funds from the construction of a new vessel, including those from suppliers and contractors, exceeds state allocations in the form of ship utilization grant.
“So, providing of ship utilization grants is more like short-term investments for the federal budget, rather than state subsidies, Bagautdinov underlines.
