Further to GSCC Circular 6080 on the GSCC survey on the Greek flag, the data has now been analysed and the findings are presented on the below graph.
The data were collected by the GSCC in March 2024, over a two-week period. Participants included principals of GSCC member-offices, who were asked to note the reasons for not choosing to fly the Greek Flag on their fleet. The goal of this short GSCC survey was to clearly identify the issues which have led to the decrease in market share for the Greek registry during the past years, in an effort to help increase its efficiency and competitiveness.
As you will notice, the most important deterrent is the bureaucratic and time-consuming procedures of the Greek registry, with 21% of participants reporting this to be the main obstacle.
This is followed by the shortage of readily available competent crew and the lack of digitalization of the registry, with 17% and 13% of participants respectively reporting their dissatisfaction on these matters. The lack of 24/7 response time is another key reason which makes the Greek flag less appealing, as 11% of participants reported it as being a significant deterrent.
The remaining reasons for not choosing the Greek flag included cost, lack of global network of competent Harbour Masters/Flag representatives to assist with local PSC disputes, lack of clear and speedy guidance in English regarding compliance with global shipping regulations, uncertain constitutional guarantee of beneficial taxation regime, and preference to fly another EU flag.
Other more specific reasons suggested by GSCC member offices principals involved the
following:
➢ taxation and insurance cost of seamen,
➢ bureaucratic and archaic operations of N.A.T.,
➢ requirement for 5 Greek crew members onboard, and the
➢ need for commercial attitude by the authorities to cooperate with the shipping companies
in order to facilitate global trade.
In conclusion, while there are many reasons that have contributed towards a declining number of vessels flying the Greek flag, the top three key issues which need to be addressed urgently are the bureaucratic and time-consuming procedures, the shortage of readily available competent crew and the lack of digitalization of the Greek registry.
We would like to thank all participants who took the time to complete this short survey and share their input, in an attempt by the GSCC to shed light on the key issues requiring corrective actions by the Greek registry in order to increase its market share and competitiveness.
