Gold Magazine March - April 2013, Issue 24 | Page 25

Now we also have a good image and an acclaimed tax system. So we must make sure
that we keep our existing shipping companies and bring more. Another key duty of
the Under-Secretary will be representation.
We need to have someone whom the people in Brussels or London or elsewhere can
identify with and recognise as the country’s political head of shipping. The message that such an appointment, made near
the start of the new President’s term of
office, sends out to the international community is extremely significant. It will say
that, when it comes to shipping, Cyprus is
on the right track and it has tangible positive prospects, despite the huge financial
turmoil in terms of low freight rates and
bank liquidity problems, etc. When the
global downturn ends, we shall be one
step ahead of our competitors and
President Anastasiades will be giving a
very clear political message of support
and attention to the industry. All we
need now is a strong industry-oriented person to take us forward, hand in
hand with the private sector.
Gold: What are the objectives of the
Cyprus Shipping Chamber?
T.K.: The Chamber is the voice of
the Resident Shipping Industry in
Cyprus. Like any other trade association around the world, we basically
provide three services: First, the promotion and protection of the legitimate
interests of our members both in Cyprus and abroad. This we do through
lobbying, which probably represents
80% of my work. Over the years
we have developed a relationship
of trust with all the relevant
government departments to
the extent that we are now
involved in any decisionmaking structure with
ministries, the Department
of Merchant Shipping, the
House of Representatives,
etc. No relevant law is discussed without the Chamber being present. We also
represent the Cyprus shipping
industry in the Brussels-based

European Community Shipowners Association (ECSA) and the International
Chamber of Shipping (ICS) in London.
Importantly, we are members of the elite
decision-making working groups that draft
shipowners’ policy. When, about 10 years
ago, the ICS decided to set up a specialized
working group to draft the guidelines that
shipowners worldwide should take into
consideration before choosing which flag
to register their ships with, only 6 of the
46 international associations were invited
to join it and Cyprus was asked to chair
the whole process. Those guidelines were
later adopted by the International Maritime Organisation and they are still used
as a reference.

Gold: You mentioned three services.
First lobbying and representation.
Then?
T.K.: The second is filtering and providing information to our members so that
they are kept informed about national,
regional and international developments
and thirdly, we promote social cohesion
among our members. Before the Chamber
was set up in 1989 (as the Cyprus Shipping Council), the shipping companies in
Cyprus were in competition with one another. They did not speak with one voice
and there was no corporate social responsibility image. We have managed to bring
our members together and make them feel
that they and their families belong, know
one another and are friends.

SINCE MARCH 2010
WE HAVE HAD PERHAPS
THE MOST COMPETITIVE
TAXATION SYSTEM
FOR SHIPPING
IN EUROPE

Gold: For such an important industry, shipping in Cyprus remains
remarkably low-key.
T.K.: It’s true that the Shipping
industry internationa