No More Gov't Aid For Gdansk Shipyard

The state-owned Industrial Development Agency (ARP) has no more ways of aiding troubled shipyard Stocznia Gdańsk, Treasury Minister Włodzimierz Karpiński said. He explained that ARP has fulfilled 100 percent of its obligations, while Ukrainian majority shareholder Gdańsk Shipyard Group has only met 30 percent of theirs, so the agency will not put more state money into the firm. 

Shipyard’s financial difficulties started when between 1997 and 2006 shipyard Stocznia Gdynia, the owner at that time, ordered Gdańsk shipyard to build the ships under adverse economic conditions. In 2006 the government decided that both shipyards would be separated and Gdańsk shipyard would be sold to another investor. In December 2006 ISD Polska whose owner was Ukrainian Industrial Union of Donbas bought 5% of shipyard’s stock and one year later the firm owned 83% of shipyard after another purchase. In 2008 European Commission ordered ISD to close two shipyard’s slipway (a beginning of shipyard’s restructuring) or to return money as a state aid. According to EC the shipyard had got 500 million PLN although the investor was aware of only 60 million PLN. ISD wanted Polish government then to pay 400 million PLN as a form of financial help. 

The ARP's chief executive Wojciech Dąbrowski said that the agency granted Stocznia Gdańsk aid of zł.150 million several years ago, in order to maintain the company's competitiveness. “Today we can see that this goal has not been achieved,” he stated. 

Mr Dąbrowski added that as of the end of June 2013, Stocznia Gdańsk had a zł.375 million loss on sales. Last Thursday, shipyard's employees held a strike demanding the firm pay out their overdue salaries.

Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced on 30 September 2013, that if Stocznia Gdańsk declared bankruptcy the state would pay all unpaid wages and help the workers find new jobs. 

Siergiej Taruta, the main shareholder, said during press conference in Warszawa on 1 October that 180 million PLN are needed to stabilize Stocznia Gdansk and that it’s not possible without ARP’s cooperation. Taruta accuses ARP of not being interested in Stocznia Gdańsk but in creating a rival company by consolidating other Polish shipbuilding companies (Shiprepair Yard Nauta, Energomontaż Północ – Gdynia Ltd., Synergia 99 and consolidated Szczecin Ship Repair Yard Gryfia and Morska Ship Repair Yard in Świnoujście).