ECCSL Maritime Forum 2016 on 18 February

Thursday, 11 February 2016 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The European Chamber of Commerce of Sri Lanka has decided to host the ‘ECCSL Maritime Forum 2016’ in collaboration with the Shipper’s Academy Colombo, to provide In-depth insights into new IMO container weight verification regulations.

The main event sponsor of the forum is Pership and the official Terminal sponsor is Colombo International Container Terminals Ltd. This event will be held on 18 February from 3 p.m. onwards at the Union Ballroom, Hilton Colombo Residencies, Colombo 2.

A distinguished panel of speakers including representatives from IMO, DGMS and Sri Lanka Ports Authority will be attending the event.

Loukas Kontogiannis, Technical Officer of the Maritime Safety Division of the International Maritime Organisation will be joining the conference via teleconference from London. Kontogiannis will be outlining the IMO mandated regulation changes and provide an insight to solutions that other countries have implemented.

Industry expert Beat Zwygart is the Market Manager of container weighing at LASSTEC. He has previously addressed the following conferences on container weighing and the IMO: TOC conferences in Singapore, London and Panama, the PEMA conference in Shang Hai, and the ICHA conference on container weighing in London.

Minister Arjuna Ranathunga will be the Chief Guest at the forum. Shipper’ Academy CEO Roshan Masakorala will impart his technical knowledge on the logistical effects and solutions that can be implemented. Merchant Shipping Director General Ajith Wickrama Seneviratne will also be addressing the participants. Sri Lanka Ports Authority Chief Manager Upul Jayatissa will be part of the panel and participate in an interactive session with the participants.

The International Maritime Organisation has made an amendment to the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) agreement that will come in to effect globally on 1 July. This amendment stipulates that it is mandatory for the gross mass of containers be verified, no estimations will be permitted.

This can be done by either weighing the packed container or weighing all packages and cargo items using a certified method that an authority of the state has approved. The parties affected are shippers, freight forwarders, vessel operators and terminal operators. If the shipping document does not state the verified gross mass and the terminal representatives have not obtained the verified gross mass of the container it shall not be loaded on to the ship. The onus falls on the shipper to obtain and document the verified gross weights of a packed container.

Currently, the terminals only confirm the approximate weight to ensure that the container weight falls within the safety parameters. Even though the shippers declare the weight of the packed container in the customs documentation it is not strictly enforced.

In 2014, Exports accounted for 21.2% of Sri Lanka’s GDP. Thus, it is crucial that the government authorities ensure that a solid plan is in place to overcome the difficulties that may arise from the amendment to the SOLAS agreement. Furthermore, with Sri Lanka’s plans to be a South Asian Megapolis it is imperative that the country follows global regulations and meets international standards and requirements.

For more information, contact Manik on 077 340 8569 or email [email protected].