The Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) has made permanent its special processing window/express lane (SPWEL) to speed up processing of permits for vessel imports and encourage investments in the local shipping industry.
SPWEL, which was pilot-tested in February this year, aims to cut the processing time for permits to import ships and operate them in the Philippines from 52 working days previously to just nine working days, enabling operators to save P30 million in additional cost and lost opportunities per vessel.
Under MARINA No. 2014-02, SPWEL is a two-stage processing window/lane for applications to import or bareboat charter ships for use in domestic shipping, and for the issuance of the certificate of public convenience (CPC) that will be processed or evaluated by concerned MARINA Central Units (MCUs) or the MARINA Regional Office (MRO).
Conditions for using SPWEL facilities
An applicant can only avail of the SPWEL facility under the following conditions:
- The ship to be acquired must be classed by a MARINA recognized or accredited classification society.
- The ship’s class certificates that were issued by a MARINA-recognized or accredited classification society are valid at the time of acquisition.
- The ship’s statutory certificates issued by the flag state or its recognized organization are written in English.
- The ship acquired and issued the authority to operate under the SPWEL may be modified, converted, or altered under the regular processing of application, procedures, and standard processing time.
- Applications to avail of the SPWEL facility may be filed with any MCUs or MROs, and their processing will undergo two stages.
- The first stage, before the ship arrives, covers applications to bring the ship into the country, while the second stage, after the ship arrives, includes applications for the documentation of the ship allowing it to operate domestically.
The order noted that the processing fees of SPWEL for handling the different applications will be 20% more than the prescribed fees and charges under existing MARINA circulars.
A fine of P10,000 will also be imposed on ship owners or operators that will commit these acts: provide false statement or misinterpretation in their application or in other documents concerning vessel registration, licensing, documentation, and vessel safety regulation; and present, use, or possess spurious or fake ship certificates, licenses, or documents.
MARINA administrator Maximo Mejia, Jr. earlier said, “We want to make it easy for companies to invest in the domestic shipping industry.”
A World Bank-International Finance Corp. study said that while a vessel waits idle for the authority to operate, the shipping company loses P700,000 daily in direct costs and lost opportunities, or about P30 million per ship.
The Philippine RORO (Roll-on/Roll off) Operators Association (PROA) and the Philippine Interisland Shipping Association (PISA) earlier welcomed the new development.
PROA president Christopher Pastrana said the SPWEL is a big step towards achieving global competitiveness while supporting the organization’s objective to modernize the ro-ro industry “because it encourages new boats to come in, brand-new vessels (to be brought in) and (gives) the industry a better option for newer and better vessels.”
Pastrana said processing of imported vessels in other countries only takes one day.
However, PISA officer-in-charge and executive director Atty. Pedro Aguilar said SPWEL does not address delays in document processing by other government agencies like the Bureau of Customs. – Roumina Pablo
Image courtesy of Naypong at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
