The Government is proposing amendments to the Merchant Shipping (Safety) Ordinance to harmonize the system of survey and certification of ships.

The proposed amendments will give effect to the 1988 Protocols relating to the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, 1974 (SOLAS 1974) and the International Convention on Load Lines, 1966 (Load Lines 1966), which were adopted to introduce changes to the two Conventions.

A Marine Department spokesman today (Friday) said that contracting parties to the Protocols had agreed to target February 2000 for the provisions to come into effect.

"Hong Kong, being an Associate Member of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) and a major maritime centre, is obliged to give effect to the amendments to the Conventions through domestic legislation," he said.

At present, the maximum validity periods in respect of the Cargo Ship Safety Construction Certificate and International Load Line Certificate (1966) are five years, while that of the Cargo Ship Safety Equipment Certificate and Cargo Ship Safety Radio Certificate are two years and one year respectively.

In order to eliminate the inconsistencies relating to validity periods, the amendment Bill proposes that all these cargo ship certificates should be streamlined and standardized with a validity period of not more than five years.

There will be provisions to extend the validity periods of both the Cargo Ship Safety Equipment Certificate and the Cargo Ship Radio Certificate to five years.

A combined cargo ship safety certificate will also be introduced as an alternative to the existing three separate cargo ship safety certificates in respect of construction, equipment and radio, which will be issued to a cargo ship after the completion of an initial survey or a renewal survey.

"The harmonization of the survey requirements and validity periods will not only reduce the overall time a ship is out of service for the conduct of a survey, but also reduce the ship owner's administrative cost," the spokesman said.

"It also enhances the effective control of ship safety by the Administration and the Classification Societies, as well as the efficiency of the certificate issuing process," he added.

Friday, 19 November 1999