Shipping companies in Estonia have been saying for years that they are not able to compete without state funding. Now, as “Baltic Stand By” reported last week, Minister of Economy Edgar Savisaar has stepped in to improve the situation.
Minister of Environment Villu Reiljan notes that the government has tried to
agree on subsidies to shipping companies before, but there have been
disagreements concerning the sums of money involved.
The Ministry of Economy and Communications held a cabinet meeting on June 1,
but no consensus was reached. The ministry’s programme foresees annual donations
of EEK 209 million (EUR 13.5 million) for the shipping sector by 2010.
