Minster of Maritime Affairs and Island Policy, Christos Stylianidis, during his meeting with the Association of Banking and Financial Executives of Hellenic Shipping, stressed the need to attract capital to renew the fleets of coastal shipping and short-distance shipping.
Making a historical review of the course of maritime financing of Greek shipping over the last 20 years, the President of the Association George Xiradakis referred to the reduction of the maritime portfolios of foreign banks after the collapse of Lehman Brothers, the rise of Greek banks as well as the existing alternative ways of financing (introduction to foreign Stock Exchanges, Funds, leasing houses) that come to fill the gaps in the banking market.
The Secretary General, Kοnstantinos Economou, emphasized that Greek banks support the shipping industry by continuously increasing their portfolios, which total 14 billion dollars, i.e. 27% of the total shipping financing of Greek shipping.
On his part, Stylianidis referred to the crucial role that the Greek-owned fleet is playing in securing the EU’s energy needs but also the challenges that must be faced to ensure the sustainability of shipping.
