The Ministry of Shipping has decided to reduce paperwork by scrapping the requirement of annual renewal of licenses for Indian ships and any other vessel charted by an Indian citizen or company.
Such licences will now be issued with a life-time fee instead of annual fee but the licence will be co-terminus with the certificate of Registry of the Ship.
The move has been widely welcomed by the shipping industry. “It is a welcome move and will benefit the Indian shipping companies. At least one irritant of the shipping industry is out. Renewing the licence every year was a major irritation and it is good that the government has thought about providing some convenience to ship owners,’’ said Shipping Corporation of India Chairman & Managing Director Arun Kumar Gupta.
The SCI chief pointed out that annual renewal was a big hassle even for his company after rules were changed from the earlier five years to the now annual renewals. ``The government should ensure less paper work so that Indian shipping industry can concentrate on its core business,” he observed.
The decision, approved by the Minister for Road Transport and Highways and Shipping Nitin Gadkari, also provides for all the five Registrars of Ships at Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Goa and Cochin to issue these licenses under the provisions of the Merchant Shipping Act,1958.
The Principal Officers of Mercantile Marine Departments (MMD) of the DG (Shipping), the designated Registrars of Ships, would also be empowered to issue life time licences.
``This is a positive development for Indian ship owners, as it will reduce the administrative burden of having to apply for renewal of licenses every year,” said Essar Shipping’s Chief Executive Officer Anoop Sharma.
