These provisions were aimed at mitigating the burden and financial strain currently being placed on owners and operators of Liberian-flag vessels during the sustained economic downturn in the maritime and offshore sectors.
They are set out in Marine Operations Notes 02-2016 and 03-2016 recently released by the Liberian Maritime Authority to owners and operators of Liberian and non-Liberian flag vessels, as well as financial institutions and legal advisers. They cover a range of operational expenses with potential for cost-savings as well as advice that will reduce flag state expenses.
The provisions also include the ability to waive initial certification and mortgage-related fees for registration transactions in Liberia, as well as fees for the reissuance of ISM and ISPS certificates for vessels transferring into the registry.
Other provisions covered include the potential to extend vessel drydock periods, the option to harmonise ISM/ISPS audits with annual safety inspections, and free access to an electronic seafarer certification and documentation system.
Also included are specific provisions relating to vessels entering lay-up, and the facilitation of operational measures to ensure safe and secure removal of the vessel from service.
These provisions are available to vessels currently in service, vessels currently under construction and vessels transferred from other flag administrations for the purpose of lay-up. In this scenario, guidelines and procedures have also been developed by the registry to address safe manning levels, lay-up procedures and inspection intervals.
Scott Bergeron, CEO of the Liberian International Ship & Corporate Registry (LISCR), the US-based manager of the Liberian Registry, said, “We believe it is essential to support the shipping industry during these extremely difficult times. The initiatives we have announced supplement those cost-efficiency measures which are already available to Liberian-flag vessels.
“Other benefits enjoyed by Liberian-flag vessels include favourable treatment when calling at Chinese ports. This follows the recent historic Agreement on Maritime Transport between the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and the Republic of Liberia, under which Liberian flag vessels will be charged a preferential rate for tonnage dues when visiting any port in China. The preferential rate saving equates to a 28% discount for each vessel’s tonnage dues.
“With just a little innovative thinking, it is possible for ship registries to anticipate problems before they occur, in the process saving owners and operators both time and money. We believe these latest measures will help achieve those objectives,”he said.
In addition, in partnership with Prevention at Sea, a Cyprus-based maritime compliance technology company, the registry has launched a software product designed to replace traditional paper oil record books (ORBs) and to facilitate correct ORB entries into an efficient electronic format.
Liberia’s Electronic Oil Record Book (ε-ORB) is intended to address a variety of issues, including oil record books being reported missing on board, failure to document entries in the ORB of internal transfer of oily mixture, discrepancies between entry into the ORB and actual capacity of the oily water separator, and falsification of log entries.
Created in accordance with MARPOL requirements and certified by Lloyd’s Register under MEPC1/Circ. 736/Rev. 2 guidelines, the ε-ORB is designed to establish transparency, credibility and traceability. All information is stored electronically through the use of a system back-up, making archiving easier and enabling past data to be revisited. The ε-ORB software will be available for use by shipowners, ship operators, and authorities worldwide.