The Swedish Maritime Administration is in crisis and is forced into sharp cuts.
Two out of five helicopter bases are closed and the authority cuts down on ice mining and maintenance of shipping routes.
It is clear that we do not want to do this, but we are forced to it, says Director General Erik Eklund to TT.
Last year, the authority went back SEK 600 million after net financial items and now the costume is very much lost to meet this year’s budget.
The fact that two helicopter bases are closing Sweden’s preparedness and affects both the defense and the sea and air rescue.
It is quite powerful to go down from five to three bases. The fastest is affected is the Armed Forces’ flights. We should always be ready when they are up and flying, both during exercises and sharp, Erik Eklund tells TT.
What does this mean?
That the Armed Forces may reduce its flying.
Erik Eklund is Director General of the Swedish Maritime Administration, which will save just over 200 million per year.
Erik Eklund is Director General of the Swedish Maritime Administration, which will save just over 200 million per year.
Photo: Claudio Bresciani/TT
“Very hard”
In addition to the closed bases, the Swedish Maritime Administration takes one of six icebreakers from operation and reduces maintenance on the maritime trails. There can be major consequences for industry and business as shipping transports nine out of ten goods in Swedish imports and exports.
It may be that we close some port and then it affects business very hard. It is clear that it will have a major economic impact on the industry.
Which air bases close and which vessels are taken out of operation is something the authority is now reviewing. The Swedish Maritime Administration also cuts down on the administration by 40 million – corresponding to every tenth service.
According to Erik Eklund, the situation has arisen for several reasons. On the one hand, the Swedish Maritime Administration is underfunded and the state’s grant has not been written up with inflation. On the one hand, fees that come in from shipping, and which finances 70 percent of the business, have decreased sharply during the first pandemic and then Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Whose wrong is it that it has become like this?
I do not find reason to point backwards but look forward, says Erik Eklund.
Requires billions
The Swedish Maritime Administration’s measures are presented in a three -year plan that will be officially presented to the Government by March 1. In it, the authority also places several requirements for increased financing.
It wants the state grants to be increased by SEK 250 million annually and that they are indexed to match inflation. You also want to be able to raise fees by SEK 250 million a year. In addition, the Swedish Maritime Administration requires 3 percent – SEK 35 billion – from the national infrastructure plan for a ten -year period for larger projects such as replacing outdated vessels and the icebreaker fleet or dredge for the green change in the north. This also includes that the state takes the cost of ice mining – as well as it takes the cost of snow removal of road and rail.
What happens if you don’t get what you ask for?
Then we will probably reach economics in balance but not really have muscle to renew the business as it takes.
And that means?
Larger and larger maintenance debt and that we will be forced into other measures later.
Corrected: In an earlier version of the text there was an incorrect description of the number of icebreakers.
The Swedish Maritime Administration’s cuts
The Swedish Maritime Administration makes several sharp cuts:
Two of the Swedish Maritime Administration’s five helicopter bases are taken out of use.
One of six icebreakers is set off.
Several vessels are divested, which halves the possibility of heavy fairway maintenance. The sea survey, that is, measurement of the ocean bottom’s topography, is also halved.
The administration at the authority is cut down by SEK 40 million, corresponding to every tenth service.
It has previously been a stop of employment at the authority that has already cut down on, for example, Christmas celebrations and its travel budget.
In total, the savings are estimated to land at just over SEK 200 million a year.
The Swedish Maritime Administration is located in 52 locations in Sweden and has around 1,700 employees.
Source: The Swedish Maritime Administration