ATHENS (Bloomberg) — Greece's new socialist government, doesn't plan to tax shipping companies registered abroad that have offices in the country, said Louka Katseli, Minister for Economy, Competitiveness and Shipping.

"It's our intention to maintain whatever good things have worked so far for the shipping industry in Greece," Katseli said at a Seatrade/Tradewinds conference in Athens. "The tax framework in which Greek shipping has flourished will be safeguarded."

Greece, the world's biggest ship-operating nation, needs to reverse a decline in younger people who choose shipping as a career and a rise in the number of officers leaving the industry early, she said. The business is the second-biggest in Greece after tourism, accounting for about seven percent of gross domestic product, according to the central bank.

Katseli added that she intends to commission a study on the industry with a view to reversing the trend.

Shipping companies headquartered in Greece that have foreign registrations have until now been exempt from income tax on their revenue.