The Ministry of Communications (MinCom) and its departments under it held its weekly forum yesterday, with this one centred on the topic of 'Application of Licence To Operate (LTO) for Restricted Use of Foreign Vessel'.

The Minister of Communications, Yang Berhormat Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Mustappa bin Haji Sirat attended the event, while senior officers and staff of the MinCom and its departments under it along with shipping agents and companies were also in attendance.

The forum carried the aim of sharing current information regarding the application and process for the application of LTO for restricted use of foreign vessels.

The forum featured a presentation dealing with the topic, which was delivered by the Acting Director of the Marine Department, Awang Haji Mohammad Salihin bin Haji Aspar.

As it was explained in the session, the LTO for Restricted Use of Foreign Vessel has the objective of promoting the safety of life at sea, maritime security and protection of marine environment in Brunei Darussalam.

In his presentation, the director also shared LTO statistics, which showed that since September 2014, the Marine Department has received and approved over 320 applications for LTO to serve various operational purposes from dredging to unloading of stones/ sand and from towage to offshore construction activity.

It was added that almost all of the applications received are approved, except for those applications that require further rectification.

After the presentation, a question and answer session ensued, in which attendees were given the opportunity to put forward and issues and queries they had.

During the session, the minister highlighted the importance of ensuring that Brunei Darussalam doesn't become a dumping area for old ships.

"There has to be some degree of responsibility on the part of the maritime authority so that Brunei does not become a dumping ground," he said in the forum.

Speaking in an interview, the minister said, "This is the situation we are in because we bring in a lot of ships, and some of them aren't newly built ships, so the question is what's going to happen after everything is completed? We don't want a situation where a ship is being dumped here and we have to clean it up."

"I think as a regulator we must make sure that once a project is completed, (those carrying out the project) must be able to prove to us how they're going to remove all those ships and what's going to become of them. They could turn them into other services like tugboats and so on. We have to understand precisely the plan, what they want to do with it."

On where the ships come from, he said, "They bring them from other places, and some of these ships aren't actually in compliance with international standards. That's a bit worrying for us. And many of those involved in making these arrangements are those who aren't familiar with the regulations."

"I would advise the contractors and institutions concerned to have someone who is able to advise them on what to do and what to expect in applying for licences to operate and so on," he added.

In a press release, the MinCom said it is hoped that forums such as yesterday will be able to help provide information to and enhance the knowledge of shipping companies and users in line with the Marine Department's mission to enhance the level of safety and security of ships in Brunei waters.

Source:
@BRUDIRECT.COM

by BruDirect.com

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