|
Asian shipowners meeting this week have called
on the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) to extend
its temporary fee cuts.
In a statement the Asian Shipowners' Forum ASF
notes that on 30 April 2009 the Panama Canal
Authority (ACP) had, in light of the current
economic crisis, announced short-term reduction
of charges.
The ASF notes that the effective period of the
reduction expires on 30th September and urges
the ACP to “institute a more meaningful
reduction of a longer duration”. At its 18th in
Tainan, Taiwan, the ASF welcomed the Indian
National Shipowners Association as its latest
member. There are now 8 members of the ASF,
which are the shipowner associations of
Australia (ASA) China (CSA), Chinese Taipei (NACS),
Hong Kong (HKSOA), India (INSA), Japan (JSA),
Korea (KSA) and the Federation of ASEAN
Shipowner Associations (FASA), which comprises
the shipowner associations of Indonesia,
Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand
and Vietnam.
Among other subjects covered the ASF comments:
“The worldwide economic turmoil has contributed
to the dramatic fall in shipping markets that
has resulted in increasing difficulty in the
employment of seafarers due to ships being
withdrawn or laid up. The ASF recognises the
benefit of maintaining employment, and therefore
considered that employment conditions of
seafarers should be consistent with the economic
situation of the country or region where the
seafarers are domiciled. Members of the ASF
agreed to maintain as much as possible
recruitment and training initiatives despite the
present market conditions.”
Source: Mglobal
|
