PASOK MP for the Dodecanese, Giorgos Nikitiasdis, submitted a new parliamentary question on 29 January 2026 to the Minister of Shipping and Island Policy, Vassilis Kikilias, over prolonged delays in the Transport Equivalent scheme for island businesses. He notes that despite assurances the platform would open in December 2025 for 2023 business submissions, it is now 2026 and applications have not opened for 2023, nor for 2024 and 2025.
He stresses that the issue is not even immediate payments, but the basic operation of the scheme: island businesses still cannot submit documentation to claim compensation for transport costs dating back up to three years. At the same time, key Joint Ministerial Decisions (JMDs) remain pending—covering 2024 fuel provisions and the 2025 programme budget. He also highlights announced changes (“sectoral and geographic targeting”) that have not been presented to Parliament or officially explained, creating uncertainty for the market. The President of the Dodecanese Chamber is cited as calling it a “ghost measure.”
Nikitiasdis asks when the platform will open for 2023–2025, what exact changes the government is considering, and when the pending JMDs will be signed.
