The anxiety of the islanders about the future of the Transport Equivalent is brought to the Parliament by SYRIZA, submitting a Question to the Ministers of Shipping and Economy.
“The current government does not give the weight it should to this development policy to support the islands, reducing the frequency of payments, unreasonably delaying their timely payment, “scissoring” the funds available, and causing great concern to the islanders about the obsolescence and possible abolition of the Transportation Equivalent” is highlighted among other things, while special mention is made of Nektarios Santorinios, since the measure was implemented during his ministry.
Evangelos Apostolakis and Nikos Pappas ask the ministers, among other things, what measures they intend to take for the immediate payment of all debtors and whether there are plans to abolish the measure.
It is no coincidence that the Question was submitted during the period when Stefanos Kasselakis is touring the Aegean islands.
Full text of the question:
“QUESTION
To the Ministers
Maritime and Island Policy
of National Economy and Finance
Topic: Is the Transportation Equivalent of our islands being abolished?
The Transport Equivalent (MI) is the measure, the establishment of which seeks to equate the cost of public transport from mainland Greece to an island or from island to island with the cost that would apply in mainland Greece for the same distance . From January 1, 2019, the beneficiaries of the Island Cost Compensation (A.NI.KO) are residents and businesses based throughout the island country. A.NI.KO. it is paid in the form of financial assistance to natural and legal persons and is non-seizable and tax-free.
The Transport Equivalent measure was established by the SYRIZA government with Law 4551/2018 and is the institutional legacy of the late Nektarios Santorini for the islanders, to solve the economic inequalities of the island. The measure resolved long-standing inequalities and ensured development opportunities and substantial support for the islanders, based on three pillars: the subsidization of passenger travel costs, the transport of goods to and from the islands, and the transport of fuel.
According to KYA no. 3201/2022 “Pilot application of the Transport Equivalent measure in the transport of fuel on the islands for the year 2022” (Government Gazette B’ 5657), the measure is applied to the islands of Agathonisi, Agios Efstratios, Agistri, Alonissos, Ammouliani, Amorgos, Anafi, Antiparos, Astypalaia, Elafonisos, Ithaca, Ios, Ikaria, Karpathos, Kasos, Kea, Kimolos, Koufonisia, Kythira, Kythnos, Lipsos, Leros, Meganisi, Megisti, Milos, Nisyros, Paxos, Patmos, Samothrace, Serifos, Sikinos, Sifnos, Skiathos, Skopelos, Skyros, Symi, Schinoussa, Tilos, Folegandros, Fournos, Halki and Psara, while from 07/12/2022 the measure was extended to the islands of Antikythera, Arkioi, Gavdos, Donoussa, Ereikousa, Heraklia, Thymaina, Kalymnos, Kinaros, Levitha, Limnos, Mathraki, Marathi, Othoni, Oinousses, Telendo and Pserimos. The measure applies to eligible liquid fuels: all types of unleaded gasoline, all types of diesel, heating oil, autogas.
However, the current government does not give the weight it should to this development policy of supporting the islands, reducing the frequency of payments, unreasonably delaying their timely payment, “scissoring” the funds available, and causing great concern to the islanders about the deprecation and possible abolition of the Transportation Equivalent. While the payments from the SYRIZA government were made on a fixed basis and there was a defined periodicity, the current leadership of the relevant Ministries, from 2019 onwards, showed reluctance to implement the measure, as it initially set the six-month horizon for payments, which is not respected.
According to reports, the inhabitants of the island country, and representatives of agencies are complaining to the Ministry of Shipping and Island Policy, but they are also proceeding with their interventions in the media, as in some areas the beneficiaries of the measure for tickets they have from 2022 onwards are not are still paid off. The delays and postponements of payments to citizens and businesses have exceeded twelve (12) months, as in some cases the payments of the second half of 2022 and 2023 have not yet been completed, while in combination with the intensified accuracy of ferry tickets, they lack liquidity from local economies, leading to despair among the islanders.
In addition, according to reports, there is a risk that the Transport Equivalent, as it currently applies, will be abolished, and from 2025 it will be significantly limited and remain as a measure only on certain islands of the barren line, in the context of saving resources from the state budget. Consequently, there is great concern from the island population, as repealing the measure would lead to the isolation and degradation of the islands and the inhabitants. Based on the above,
Since the Government must pay the Transport Equivalent dues to the beneficiaries in a short period of time,
Because it must give a time horizon for the payment of the Transportation Equivalent to citizens, so that the beneficiaries know when they will receive their money,
Because the Transportation Equivalent is a positive measure that helps society and operates within the framework of the principle of equality,
Because the insularity dimension is constitutionally protected,
Mr. and Mrs. Ministers:
1. What measures do they intend to take to speed up the process of checks of applications for the payment of financial aid to the beneficiaries of the Transport Equivalent?
2. What measures do they intend to take for the immediate payment of all the Transport Equivalent owed to the citizens?
3. If there is a plan to abolish the Transport Equivalent in our islands or limit the measure only to the islands of the barren line?
4. Whether they will proceed to increase the rate of the Transport Equivalent subsidy in the context of accuracy and inflation?
The questioning members of parliament
Apostolakis Evangelos
Pappas Nikos”
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