Foreign ship exception revoked after Dec 2012

The ministry of transportation will ban all foreign offshore supporting ships to operate in Indonesia after December 2012, as such ships with Indonesian flags are increasing in number and by December it is expected to be enough in the country, Bisnis Indonesia reported.

Director General for Sea Transportation at the Ministry, Leon Muhamad, said he was optimistic that the number of Indonesian flagged offshore support ships could meet the demand by then and that the government would revoke the regulation that allows foreign ships to operate.

He pointed out that the foreign offshore ships to be banned from operating in Indonesia should include anchor handling and tug supply (AHTS) over 5.000 horse power (HP), dinamic position (DP2/ DP3), platform supply vessel (PSV) and dynamic support vessel (DSV).

According to him, the foreign offshore ships still have nine months until December to change into Indonesian flagged ships, otherwise they will not be allowed to operate in Indonesia after December.

?We?ll be conducting an evaluation of the number of such ships needed in Indonesia and how many there are now in operation. But the foreign offshore-support ships can only be in operation until December. That?s for certain,? he told Bisnis Indonesia in Jakarta on Tuesday.

He said that the government would penalize any foreign ship that continues to operate beyond December. The exception given until December is based on the ministry?s regulation Permenhub No.48/2011.

Meanwhile, PT Wintermar Offshore Marne Tbk Managing Director Sugiman Layanto said that ships with the types of DSV and AHTS above 5.000 HP, DP2/3 and PSV with Indonesian flags were increasing in number.

Until now, he said, the number of AHTS above 5.000 HP has been enough to meet the need in the country. ?Possibly, what needed more are AHTS above 8.000 HP as now there are only about 10 units,? he said. (*)