Comment on the government's growth package

The Danish Ports Association welcomes the fact that the government's business and entrepreneurship proposal is a start on following up the many recommendations from the maritime growth team from the spring. It is crucial that we now boost our ambitions to create growth and development throughout Denmark. The follow-up to recommendations to extend the so-called DIS scheme for offshore vessels, among others, is important in this respect. We must be able to keep up with the tax rules of our neighbouring countries around the North Sea with their many offshore activities. It is an important step that this area is part of the government's growth package. It will strengthen shipping, the ports and the part of manufacturing Denmark that is dependent on the offshore sector. The task now is to focus on getting the extended DIS scheme through the EU Commission's eye of the needle," says Bjørn B. Christiansen. However, the Danish Ports Association is more critical of the reduction in bridge tariffs across the Great Belt. This is good for mobility in the labour market, but problematic for congestion on the road network. The road sections on Funen and in the triangle area are full to bursting point, while there is plenty of free capacity on the sea network across Kattegat. It's a foolish use of society's infrastructure resources," says Bjørn B. Christiansen. Ports of Denmark sees the government's growth initiative as the first in a series of initiatives towards 2025 that will Denmark to become a global maritime powerhouse. The next step in the plan for growth and development across the country is the modernisation of port legislation, which is also on the government's agenda this autumn. The Danish Ports Association therefore looks forward to reaching an agreement before the end of the parliamentary year that will give ports more room for manoeuvre and business development, so that they can meet global demand and act as regional growth engines.  

The main points of the government's initiative Together for the companies of the future Entrepreneurship and share culture Share savings account Lower tax on share income Investor's allowance (deduction for contributions to small and medium-sized enterprises) Better conditions for granting employee shares Increased contractual freedom and clarity on rules in employee share programmes Better tax conditions for savings in investment funds Attracting foreign capital to e.g. Danish investment funds Relaxed rules for placement of privately managed pension schemes Increased transparency of pension companies' equity investments Digitalisation and new business models Strategy for Denmark's digital growth Strategy for the sharing economy Strategy for circular economy Lower costs for citizens and businesses Lower tolls for the Storebælt Bridge Abolition of the nut tax Reorganisation of taxes Design of a concrete model for ACE Reduction of capital requirements for public limited companies Globalisation Higher tax deduction for research and development (R&D) Extension of research tax scheme from 5 to 7 years Growth Plan for Life Science Extension of the DIS scheme to seafarers on offshore vessels Abolition of registration tax on merchant ships Source: Government's Business and Entrepreneurship Package

See the government's proposal here http://em.dk/~/media/files/2017/08-30-sammen-om-fremtidens-virksomheder.ashx?la=da If you have any questions, please contact Bjørn B. Christiansen, at 2537 0364 or at bbc@danskehavne.dk Read more news from Danske Havne here