Two new state-owned companies in the maritime sector
At the meeting on 2 June 2009 the Cabinet Committee on Economic Policy supported the Ministry of Transport and Communications' proposals of turning the Shipping Enterprise, Finstaship, into a state-owned company and, as decided earlier, of separating the duties related to internal production at the Finnish Maritime Administration into a state-owned company. Both companies will begin their work on 1 January 2010. The responsibility for ownership policy concerning the new companies will remain at the Ministry of Transport and Communications.
Current duties of Finstaship divided between the companies
The Ministry proposed that the business structure of Finstaship be rearranged in the incorporation process. The current offshore and icebreaking business services, and operations related to management, administration and internal services would be transferred to the new incorporated company, Finstaship. A corporate group structure would be applied to the organisation of offshore and icebreaking services.
Rearrangement of business operations related to ferry services in the archipelago, which are currently part of the Shipping Enterprise, will be examined at a later stage of the incorporation process. As of 2010 fairway services and the related oil spill prevention services will be transferred to a state-owned company to be established for the Maritime Administration's production operations related to waterways.
A new company to waterway management
By an earlier decision the internal production operations of the Maritime Administration will be incorporated in the beginning of 2010. The new company will be responsible for waterway management and development and for hydrographic surveys. The production operations of the Maritime Administration and the related assets as well as the business operations in fairway maintenance of the Shipping Enterprise will be transferred to the new company. No official name has yet been chosen for the company.
The Transport Infrastructure Agency, which is to start operations in the beginning of 2010, will use competitive tendering as the main means for acquiring fairway services. Competitive tendering will be taken into use during a three-year transition period, 2010-2012.
No personnel impacts
Personnel employed by the Shipping Enterprise and by the production operations at the Maritime Administration on 31 December 2009 will continue as employees of the new company under the older terms. Public service employment relationships will be changed into contractual employment relationships in accordance with the Finstaship incorporation act.
Background
The process of incorporating the unincorporated state enterprises is based on the European Commission decision of 2007 concerning the Finnish Road Enterprise, which criticised the compatibility of unincorporated state enterprises with the common market. In 2008 the Finnish Ministry of Finance appointed a working group to examine the organisation of unincorporated state enterprises and to find out alternatives for the present model. The working group will complete its work by the end of 2009.
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Policy supported in its meeting of 28 April 2009 the Ministry of Transport and Communications' proposal of incorporating the Finnish Civil Aviation Administration, Finavia, as of 1 January 2010.
The incorporation of the production operations of the Maritime Administration is related to the overall transport administration reform and to the establishment of the Transport Infrastructure Agency. The incorporation will separate the activities of purchasing and supplying transport infrastructure management services.
Further information:
Mr Kari Jääskeläinen, Special Adviser to the Minister of Transport, tel. +358 440 581 030
Ms Rita Linna, Ministerial Adviser, tel. +358 9 160 28559, +358 40 582 9699
Mr Hannu Hautakangas, Project Manager, tel. +358 9 160 28308, +358 40 773 3405 (incorporation of the production operations at the Finnish Maritime Administration)
