Ministry Of Transportation Prepares New Policy On Foreign Offshore Vessel
JAKARTA— Minister of Transportation, E.E. Mangindaan, extends deadline of dispensation of foreign vessel use for three types of offshore vessels which should have ended this year. Those vessels are offshore construction vessel, dredging vessel, salvage vessel, and undersea construction vessel.
The Minister states the policy is to prevent the absence of those three vessels that can affect on offshore gas and oil exploration activity. “In the regulation, there is an opportunity that the Ministry designs a policy so that the economic activity can still run well,” he told Bisnis recently.
However, the Ministry explained he still discusses the plan with National Shipowners’ Association (INSA).
Mangindaan predicts the discussion will be completed before the end of this month or the expired Ministerial Regulation No.48/2011.
Directorate General of Sea Transportation, Bobby R. Mamahit, added it is possible that the deadline is extended for the next few months from the initial deadline of December 2013.
He said the evaluation on the prolonged deadline is still in the discussion with some relevant parties in sailing sector. “We still evaluate so far, but it is likely to be extended from the initial expiring month, but it is not final yet. We are still discussing it,” he said on Monday (12/16).
Bobby said according to the ministerial regulation, there are three types of activity which must fly Indonesian flag until the end of this year. It manages cabotage principle for offshore vessels.
It is indeed difficult for salvage and undersea, dredging vessels to fly Indonesian flag. As for offshore construction vessel, it can be done due to availability of national vessel. Being asked about the extension in the next 6 months, Bobby said the extended period has yet to be decided since all is still reviewed with business players.
Responding SKK Migas
He did not deny that the proposal for extended deadline is from SKK Migas (Special Task Force of Upstream Oil and Gas Activity). “The unit has proposed for it but we review and evaluate it,” he said.
Bobby also promised to issue new ministerial regulation as the revision of the previous regulation on three types of offshore vessels. At first, he refused to set deadline for foreign offshore vessels to be acquired by national company, consortium, or joint venture between foreign and national companies before the end of this year.
He said Director of Traffic and Sea Transportation, Directorate General of Sea Transportation, has carried out initial coordination with INSA which represents national sailing companies. Besides, it also involves foreign vessel owners and working units relevant to transportation sector.
Since the middle of this year, the Ministry has summoned relevant parties, including INSA, to discuss the evaluation with the option of extending deadline if indeed there has not been any national vessel available.
Source: http://business.bisnis.com/
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