The ceremony took place at the Ministry of Finance in the presence of Minister Christos Staikouras for the signing of the contract for the transfer of the assets of the HENA shipyard in Skaramangas to an investor selected through a tender process in July 2021. George Prokopiou. The signing of the relevant transfer agreement took place on March 1 this year.

In his position on the transfer of assets of the Scaramangas shipyards, Mr. Staikouras stated that “the transfer of the assets of the largest shipyards in the country and the entire Eastern Mediterranean, the Scaramangas shipyards, to a new investor, Mr. Procopio. I welcome him with gratitude and respect on his assignment to the Ministry of Finance.”

“Four years of intensive and methodical efforts by the Ministry of Finance to accelerate the resolution of a number of issues with the help of jointly competent ministries made the transfer possible after a competitive, transparent and successful tender. Quadruple the asking price. And by addressing unresolved labor issues through a network of interventions taken over time. This fact, together with the quality of the business, the ethics and the parchment of a new investor in the field of shipping and entrepreneurship in general, open up new prospects for dynamic development for a historic company,” the minister added.

As he emphasized, “the shipbuilding and shipbuilding industry should become a key factor in the country’s maritime infrastructure. On the one hand, because it serves shipping, and on the other hand, because it contributes to the development of the country. With today’s data, the sector and its modernization so that it becomes an active and profitable part of the country’s production fabric requires a comprehensive and systematic policy. From all those involved. In this particular sector, Greece has shown significant success in the past and, despite the challenges, has significant guarantees of significant and sustainable development in the future.”

Mr. Staikouras stated that “The Skaramaga shipyards are the core of the Greek shipbuilding and shipbuilding industry. They have significant advantages in terms of their geographic location, their basic infrastructure, and the experience and know-how of their staff. However, over the past few decades, they have faced serious, numerous and interrelated challenges. But, despite the problems, as confirmed today, the industry exists. It still plays its role, and the opportunities that are opening up, especially under the current conditions, are especially important.”

“Breaking deadlock and developing shipyards with new funds and know-how will bring significant benefits. For employment and exports, economic activity in general, the spread of new technologies. But also potentially, to maintain defense autonomy, in terms of the repair and construction of ships of the Navy,” added the Minister of Finance and continued: “Approaching the above framework with realism and method, I want to point out that the strategic goal of the government was the consolidation of the defense and shipbuilding industries and thus ensuring the defense capability of our country. Under the responsibility of the Ministry of Finance, the Scaramanga shipyards have been included in this strategic government target from the very beginning. The question of the operation of the Scaramangas shipyards and the simultaneous resumption of shipbuilding repair activities was a complex and ambitious undertaking. Difficult, mainly, but not exclusively, due to various unresolved issues and difficulties. And ambitious, due to the significant added value of investments for domestic economic development and national defense.”

Mr. Staikouras noted that “in recent years, the Ministry of Finance has made a significant and coordinated effort, in accordance with the regulations, so that the Greek shipbuilding industry can “reborn”, revive, be able to qualify and in the future take on a high level construction project, inside and outside the country. In this context, the fact that Skaramanga Shipyards has many years of experience in an important construction project is a strong guarantee. Since the summer of 2019, the restoration of the Scaramangas shipyards has become a priority for us. In 2019, the company was transferred to the Special Management regime, and the European Court recognized illegal state assistance. From the outset, the Treasury made it a priority to change the uncertain course they had been left on. The effort culminated in the summer of 2021 when a super-themed investor was selected.”

According to the minister, “in order to maximize investment interest and ensure the continuity of business activities in the Special Management regime and, as a result, preserve jobs, the Ministry of Finance, together with the relevant ministries, has embarked on a legislative, administrative and political level – in resolving a number of issues. In this way, long-standing problems were resolved, supposedly by increasing the number of proposals in the subsequent tender, facilitating business and bringing into operation the facilities and facilities necessary for the operation of the Shipyards. In addition, a set of regulations has recently been adopted to govern coastal zone, zoning and inclusion in the rapid licensing strategic investment regime. Thus, an integrated structure was created to use, provide a perspective of sustainable development and reuse of the Skaramangas shipyards, as well as to promote Greek shipbuilding in general. Today’s simple ceremony is practical proof and the culmination of our collective, cohesive efforts.”

For his part, the investor Mr. Yorgos Prokopiou, speaking about investments, among other things, said: “This is the intersection of my love for construction and earthworks, as a civil engineer, with my other love, the sea.” even noting that he “appeared for this competition as a skydiver” as, according to him, he had only learned of its recurrence ten days before.

He then mentioned “the excellence of the organization, the transparency and the proper treatment of everyone.” He highlighted the “important work and preparatory work done by the Ministries of Finance, Development and Investment and Labor and Social Affairs, with the burden, he said, “falling on the Ministry of Finance.” “There were many issues here that you resolved with exceptional speed and fairness for everyone. This made a big impression on me. Very correct attitude towards employees, which is our duty. There is no work without workers. But jobs also need to stand on their own. Nobody can subsidize them. Why will you subsidize for one month, two months, three months, and then they will close it,” Mr. Prokopyev said characteristically.

And he continued: “So, what do I think. First of all, before going there, I definitely want to thank the Ministry of Finance and the Minister, Mr. Christos Staikouras, for their undivided support of the workers, and then for our own efforts, which could not be realized. People Mr. N. Marados, Mr. H. Seferis, Mr. I. Koimtzoglou and their accomplices, who did what they had to do and quickly. But I also want to tell you that the reception that I got from the Shipyard people, because I personally interviewed a lot of people, I saw people who love it, people who want it to go forward, who were very sad. Now the way these same people managed to break it makes a big impression on me. Because the same people dismantled it and were again upset that they dismantled it. Therefore, I realized that the steering wheel is heavy and the captain sets the course. Therefore, for many years he did not have a captain there. But a person has a dream, and then the dream becomes a vision, and then the vision tries to realize it. For me, my vision is for this to become the cutting edge of technology in the shipping and defense industries, so that we can become self-sufficient in many areas, as the minister also said, without needing anyone or breaking out of the socket. There is a plan. We will do our best to make this happen. We want workers to cooperate, but they must have a purpose. For our part, we will try very hard to keep the facility, because with the increase in the facility, the number of employees also increases.”

At the same time, as Mr. Prokopiu noted, “this position also contributes to the energy decarbonization efforts in our country”, while he stressed that “natural gas is a form of energy that is friendlier than oil and more harmless” . . In conclusion, he noted that “our heart and our will is to single out our country so that it does not envy anyone and that it can live very well in its world, because we are in the most beautiful place, now they have have understood everything. I want to finish with these thoughts, saying that we do not want to be state food, but we want the smile of the motherland, for what we do. That’s all we ask.”

While Special Administrator Christodoulos Seferis stated: “I want to thank Mr. Christos Staikouras and the competent General Secretaries of the Ministry of Finance as well as the Ministry of Labor for their substantial and decisive assistance and contribution to resolving chronic problems. and the problems he had at the shipyard, as mentioned by Mr. Staikouras. Moreover, we are especially pleased that the shipyard will pass into the reliable hands of Mr. Prokopiu, whom we congratulate and wish him good health.”