The Shipping Association of Trinidad & Tobago Monthly ... Monthly July 2013.pdf · The Shipping Association of Trinidad & Tobago Monthly Newsletter JULY 2013 Stakeholder‘s Forum

The Shipping Association of Trinidad & Tobago

Monthly Newsletter

JULY 2013

Stakeholder‘s Forum

This month’s SRC meeting, held on the 9th, focused on the review of a

Drogher’s reform proposal in preparation for an upcoming meeting with

the Comptroller of Customs, Fitzroy John. Members analysed the steps in

a routine bunkering transaction, determined the best course of action

and devised a process for reporting electronically as per Figure 1. The

promising news out of the meeting, was the confirmation of the

capability of the ASYCUDA software to accommodate the Droghers

transaction thus hopefully eliminating the tedious and costly procedure

of maintaining the Book.

Inside this

issue:

STAKEHOLDER’S FORUM Committee Update TTCIC Budget Discussion Ballast Water Management ASYCUDA Update

1-4

MEMBERS MAKING NEWS NEC Rebrands IN OTHER NEWS The Shipping Amendment Bill

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ON THE HORIZON Diamond Anniversary Gala & Awards CSA’s 43rd AGM

7

DID YOU KNOW? 8

THOUGHT OF THE MONTH 9

STAKEHOLDER RELATIONS COMMITTEE (SRC) UPDATE

2

Attended by Group C Chairman Ian Deosaran, the panel discussion, organized by the

Trinidad & Tobago Chamber of Industry & Commerce was held on the 15th at the Chamber

Building in Westmoorings.

The meeting sought to create an opportunity for the open discussion of the current and

future economic climate and ways to contribute towards the Government's decisions

regarding this year’s Budget Presentation.

Core topics were: SME Development, Tax Recommendations, Tobago Development and

Energy Issues.

Among the panellists were:

♠ Mr. Norman Christie - President, BP Trinidad & Tobago LLC

♠ Mr. Wayne Dass - CFA/CEO, Caribbean Credit Rating Services Limited

♠ Mr. Gregory Hannays - Director Tax Services, Ernst & Young


Monthly Newsletter JULY 2013

Stakeholder’s Forum

TTCIC PRE BUDGET PANEL DISCUSSION

3

NATIONAL MARINE INVASIVE ALIEN SPECIES (IAS) WORKSHOP

Staying in the BWM vein, the

Institute of Marine Affairs (IMA) also

hosted a workshop attended by

Representative Ron Traboulay. An

output of the pilot project

"Management & Control of the

Marine Invasive, Perna uiridis, in

Trinidad & Tobago”, the workshop

targeted marine stakeholders in the

management and control of IAS in

T&T as well as those affected by the

species.




LAUNCH OF MSD’s BALLAST WATER MANAGEMENT WORKSHOP The International Maritime Organization (IMO), the United Nations Regional Coordinating

Unit for the Caribbean Environment Program (UNEP-CAR/RCU) and RAC/ REMPEITC-Caribe

in cooperation with the Ministry of Transport, Maritime Services Division held a three day

national training workshop from 24-26 July at the Old Fire Station on Hart Street, POS. The

Secretariat was represented by Ron Traboulay of NEC who sits on the National Ballast Water

Committee.

The workshop provided practical knowledge on approaches to Compliance, Monitoring,

and Enforcement (CME) related to the implementation of the Ballast Water Management

(BWM) Convention (2004). Emphasis was placed on Port and Flag State Control Procedures

required under the Convention.

Under the BWM Convention, all ships engaged in international traffic are required to

manage their ballast water and sediments to approved standards, according to a

ship-specific ballast water management plan. All ships will also have to maintain a ballast

water record book and an international ballast water management certificate. Once the

Convention is enforced, most ships will need to install an on-board ballast water treatment

system. The Convention aims to reduce the potential transfer of organisms, e.g. small fishes,

benthic organisms or plankton, or pathogenic bacteria, which are released into the

environment when the ballast water is discharged and may become invasive.

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Following a meeting on the 31 July between Agents /

NVOCC’s and the Comptroller of Customs, the following is an

update on ASYCUDA implementation:

♠ Reporting in ASYCUDA is now mandatory.

♠ All Agents, Carriers & NVOCC’s are to submit Cargo Manifest into CBCS ASYCUDA with

immediate effect.

♠ Difficulties in reporting must be relayed to the Customs & Excise Division (C&E). A help desk is

to be established for all ASYCUDA Functional Issues, with an assigned email address. This will

be advised.

♠ Compliance from ALL Cargo Reporters is the main focus of C&E. Fines will be implemented at

a later date.

♠ Regulations indicating time frames for reporting to ASYCUDA Inward & Outward and new

requirements for filing a Landing Account is being prepared and will be circulated within 2

weeks.

♠ Export (Content) Report will be sent out by the first week in August 2013 for all users to start

submitting XML files in ASYCUDA.

♠ C&E is expected to conduct tests on the Release & Delivery process in ASYCUDA by

September 2013. Same is to be deployed by that time.

♠ By September 2013 C&E will conduct tests by selecting users & the respective Ports on the

entire process of Release & Delivery function in ASYCUDA will be deployed in September.

♠ The Comptroller advised that within 3 months of reporting Manifest data into ASYCUDA CBCS

and after C&E validate the data being collected from Agents/Carriers they will proceed to

go paperless with only (1) hard copy manifest to submit to Central Services at Customs House

and (1) for the Terminal.

♠ A listing of all ASYCUDA registered NVOCC’s has been requested for reference from the C&E

ASYCUDA Functional Team.

♠ The Comptroller advised Freight to be reported in ASYCUDA is not required for FROB or

Transshipment Cargo.




ASYCUDA UPDATE

5

The National Energy Corporation of Trinidad & Tobago Ltd. is now to be referred to as

National Energy. With a rebranding process that began in 2012 and culminated in June

2013, the company sought to fulfill a vision born out of the need to translate the

corporation’s core ideology and envisioned future into a message that resonates with its

various publics.

Currently, National Energy is in the process of updating all branded items with its new logo;

(the website is currently under construction), and the creation of a coherent, yet flexible,

identity system solution that will represent and distinguish the brand.

It is to be noted that National Energy’s mandate is to be the state agency responsible for

new energy-related and downstream development. As such the company has adopted a

proactive approach to doing business, actively promoting the country’s energy brand to

assist T&T in becoming a global energy leader and energy services hub of Latin America

and the Caribbean.



Members Making News

FROM NEC TO NATIONAL ENERGY

6

The 8 July, held a special sitting of the Executive Council. With the amendment of the

Shipping Act in the works and the submission of a Legislative Brief for review by the Maritime

Services Division, the EC gathered for a prep session before the requested stakeholder

consultation.

Of the many issues raised, the decision to essentially replace the Maritime Services Division

with a Maritime Services Authority drew the most speculation. Members may recall notice of

this at a previous stakeholder forum and though it may sound promising in theory,

uncertainty exists based on the potential for conflict of interest and the separation of the

duties of oversight and execution.

Other areas covered in the Brief are, but not limited to:

♠ The repeal of the Droghers Act and its replacement by a Local Trade Act

♠ The consolidation and repeal of the Harbours Act

♠ The increase of Trade Restriction and Registration fines

♠ The repeal of Section 410 which allows for the up to date adoption of IMO

conventions

The stakeholder consultation, originally scheduled for 16 July has since been postponed to

a date yet to be fixed.



In Other News

THE PROPOSED SHIPPING AMENDMENT BILL...WHAT DOES IT AMEND?

7

The Secretariat is in the thick of preparations and

planning for the successful staging of the final

Anniversary celebration.

Thank you and appreciation is extended to the event

sponsors thus far: Seaboard Marine, PLIPDECO, TTPA,

TCL, Caribbean Shipping Agencies, PATT, BCSL &

National Energy.

Members are reminded and encouraged to RSVP by

the 16 August 2013 and to partake in the nomination

process for the award ceremony.



On the Horizon DIAMOND ANNIVERSARY GALA & AWARD FUNCTION

The Caribbean Shipping Association’s AGM

comes up in October from the 7th – 9th in Panama

City, Panama. Early Bird Registration Expires on 23

August. Don’t miss out! Click here to register.

CSA’s 43rd AGM CONFERENCE & EXHIBITION

http://www.regonline.com/builder/site/Default.aspx?EventID=1248914

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Did You Know?

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Monthly Newsletter

Thought of the Month JULY 2013

Documents

The Shipping Association of Trinidad & Tobago Monthly ... Monthly July 2013.pdf · The Shipping Association of Trinidad & Tobago Monthly Newsletter JULY 2013 Stakeholder‘s Forum