MULTIYEAR FUNDING URGED FOR U.S. MSP

MULTIYEAR FUNDING URGED FOR U.S. MSP '    Congress should provide multiyear funding instead of annual appropriations for the Maritime Administration’s Maritime Security Program, according to a report issued recently by the Working Group on Maritime Policy.
   The group, headed by former maritime administrator Albert Herberger and sponsored by the National Defense Transportation Association, said multiyear appropriations would improve stability for investing in new U.S. ships.
   A multiyear system would also reduce problems faced by commercial operators attempting to plan for 25- to 30-year investments, the report said.
   The report also called for mandating that U.S. military requirements, rather than budget caps, determine the number and types of ships in the liner program.