Small shipping companies crave credit
The smaller Danish shipping companies, organised by the Shipowners' Association of 1895 and the Shipowners' Association for small Ships, are under pressure from the financial crisis. The two associations have now asked the Business Committee of the Danish Folketing to help them.
The Shipowners' Association of 1895 and the Shipowners' Association for small Ships, which combined represent 50 shipping companies and 180 ships, have encouraged the Business Committee of the Danish Folketing to think of the small shipping companies in coming initiatives.
"It is possible to imagine solutions for guaranteed operation credits and the like, but nothing has been decided yet. The most important thing for us is to inform the politicians that they have passed to excellent bank packages, which however do not have the effect wished for on the relation between banks and the smaller industries, including small shipping", says general office manager René Piil Pedersen, The Shipowners' Association of 1895, to the magazine.
The small ship organisations fear that a "not insignificantly amount of small shipping companies" are threatened on their existence, if the financial system will not ease the restrictions on credit.
"We have seen several examples of shipping companies that have had their credit called in and terminated, but we cannot state any figures. It is still in development. We are worried about the months to come, as some have yet to pay their insurance premium", says René Piil Pedersen.
Source: maritimedanmark.dk
