MoT allows use of foreign-flagged vessels in 2015

The Ministry of Transportation (MoT) has completed the revision of Minister Regulation No 10/2014 on the mechanism and requirements for permit in the use of foreign-flagged vessels, allowing the use of foreign-flagged seismic vessels for another year, Bisnis Indonesia reported on Monday.

The paper quoted Director General of Sea Transportation Bobby Mamahit as saying that there has been no significant changes in the revised regulation particularly with regards to the use of foreign-flagged vessels for special purposes. As such, the permit of foreign-flagged vessels for special purposes has been extended for another year until end December 2015. He did not provide further details.

Minister Regulation No 10/2014 stipulates that the use of foreign-flagged vessels must end this year as part of the government?s cabotage policy, requiring the use of Indonesian-flagged vessels in the domestic waters.

The upstream oil and gas authority SKK Migas has earlier proposed to the MoT to revise the Minister Regulation No 10/2014 to allow for the use of foreign-flagged vessels for special purposes such as seismic vessels after December 2014 particularly as the number of Indonesian-flagged seismic vessels remains limited at two units. (*)