The Maritime Forum says these are the five most important governmental measures for our industry

NME is a proud and active member of The Maritime Forum and we fully agree with the measures they promote. We are continuously working together to secure the future for our members and to improve the conditions for the maritime industry. To be able to efficiently do so, we need to hear from you! Therefore, we invite you to share your views on the measures stated below. You can do this by filling out our survey here.

The article below is taken from The Maritime Forum’s website and has been translated to English. To read the full article in Norwegian, click here.

The Norwegian government has announced that they will deliver a package of measures to support the maritime industry within this week. The Maritime Forum has earlier presented an action plan with 40 measures to the government. When the Norwegian newspaper Sunnmørsposten challenged the Maritime Forum Northwest to point out five of these measures they believe will be of great benefit to the maritime industry, the message was as follows:

Rules for temporary layoffs. The Maritime Forum expect that the period one could be temporary laid off will be extended to 52 weeks compared to today’s 26 weeks. In addition, it should be opened for more flexibility, for example being 50 percent laid off for 18 months.

State-owned vessels. The authorities should push forward already planned building of state-owned vessels like research vessels and minesweepers. Norwegian shipyards and equipment suppliers must be prioritized. Language and Health, Environment and Security (HSE) are important keywords. The tender documents, dialogue and contract with the authorities must be in Norwegian, and there should be strict HSE requirements. This will favour the Norwegian maritime industry.

Improve liquidity. The new package should include measures to improve the liquidity of companies.There are different models for this. Amongst other, it is important that the government covers the extraordinary costs which many companies have incurred due to quarantine and infection control.

Oil taxation. The Maritime Forum Northwest expects improvements to the model which the government have presented for oil taxation in order to maintain high activity on the continental shelf.

Fleet renewal. The Maritime Forum has pointed to a scrapping scheme for offshore vessels and short sea vessels as one of the measures to launch a fleet renewal programme. This will generate more work for the yards and the equipment suppliers.

A new Statoil. The establishment of Statoil was a prerequisite for the Norwegian oil adventure. Norwegian government should now invest in offshore wind. Norway has the best conditions for delivering equipment, vessels and services to offshore wind. However, there is a need for assistance from a state-owned offshore wind company during the start-up years.

Consequences The consulting company Menon Economics has carried out an analysis on behalf of The Maritime Forum which shows that at worst, every fourth employee in the maritime industry may lose their job. If you put that figure on top of those already lost a job in the maritime industry, the number of employees in the industry will be halved from 2015 – 2022.

Implementing these measures will not be like “carry oats to a dying horse”. It is the opposite. The maritime industry is a prerequisite for seizing the opportunities that lies in the ocean space. The OECD and Sintef have said there could be a 40 percent increase in ocean space even if oil activity declines. This applies to wind power, other forms of sustainable energy, aquaculture and minerals. The maritime industry is a potential growth industry.