The
Merchant Shipping Division
of the Ports and Aviation
Ministry is in the process
of formulating regulations
to license freight
forwarders.
The draft
regulations will be in place
within the next three
months.
The
Ministry has had discussions
with industry players,
Merchant Shipping Director
General Shantha Weerakoon
told Daily News Business.
Merchant
Shipping Division of the
Ports and Aviation Ministry
is the regulatory body of
the shipping industry.
It issues
licences for shipping agents
and depot operators.
The
report by the Presidential
Committee on Maritime
matters has made
recommendations to regulate
ship repairers, clearing and
forwarding agents and ship
chandlers.
“We are
responsible for the Sri
Lankan seafarers. There are
18,000 active seafarers.
They bring foreign exchange
in excess of Rs 13 billion
annually.
We
conduct examinations for
seafarer officer grade as
well as ratings. We issue
certificates up to Master
Marine and Marine Chief
Engineers. This is a
facility available at
present and in the past they
had to go to countries such
as UK, Singapore, Australia
and India to obtain
qualifications,” Weerakoon
said.
There are
six approved, State and
privately owned sea farers’
training colleges in Sri
Lanka. There is a high
demand for seafarers
especially for officer
grades. They are unable to
meet the demand as even
during the recession officer
grades of seafarers were not
affected.
Master
marine (ship captain) and
marine chief engineers could
draw a monthly salary of
between US $ 8,000 to
10,000.
The
Ministry has signed
agreements with 25 countries
which are the all major ship
owning countries where 90
percent of the world
shipping tonnage is owned,
to recognize the
certificates awarded by
local training institutes.
This will enable those
passing out to secure
employment abroad”.
Plans are
under way to set up Maritime
training colleges in
Trincomalee and Hambantota
to produce more
professionals in the field.
“We have
an open register system
where ship owners can
register their vessels under
the Sri Lankan flag. Our
standardization is stringent
and therefore owners who
have sub-standard ships will
not be entertained here,”
Weerakoon said.
The
Merchant Shipping Division
is the focal point of
International Maritime
Organization (IMO) which is
responsible for shipping.
Sri Lanka
is party to all the
important international
shipping conventions
formulated by the IMO and
will accommodate few more
international shipping
conventions in the near
future.
(DN-12032010) |