Blog
Natasa Pilides We will Continue to Take Cyprus Shipping Forward
October 3, 2018
On March 1, 2018 Natasa Pilides was appointed as Cyprus’ first dedicated Shipping Deputy Minister, reporting directly to the President. She spoke to The Maritime Executive about the state's new governance and its shipping future.
How is the Cyprus government's oversight of the shipping sector changing?
The Deputy Ministry is the successor body to the Department of Merchant Shipping (DMS) which brings a strong 40-year heritage for us to develop for Cyprus’ shipping sector. This provides a solid foundation that we will continue to build on in taking Cyprus shipping forward into a new era. The team at the Deputy Ministry have the necessary knowledge and expertise to support our clients and to contribute to the significant expansion of the shipping sector, which in turn will aid the continued growth of the Cyprus economy.
The transformation of the Department of Merchant Shipping to a Shipping Deputy Ministry has already increased the functionality, effectiveness and flexibility of our public shipping administration, with a direct and immediate effect in the further development and expansion of both our flag and our maritime cluster.
The ultimate goal is to strengthen Cyprus shipping and its consolidation as an advanced global shipping service center. We will achieve this through flexibility and speed of decision-making, the improvement and upgrading of state services provided, the promotion of the Cyprus flag and the strengthening of the cooperation with the private stakeholders involved.