the transport departments of Ukraine made another attempt to make life easier for owners who use the flag of Ukraine. First Steps officials criticized the experts.

Ukrainian ship owners for several months the urging of the Transport Ministry to simplify procedures for registration of ships under the Ukrainian flag. The initiator, addressed the Ukrainian Danube Shipping Company (UDP), which was supported Ukrrechflot and SC Ukrferry.

Ukrainian flag is not the worst when working on the world market. Another thing is that he is "inconvenient" for themselves shipowners in Ukraine, who complain about the arbitrariness of regulatory authorities and bureaucratic procedures.

Ukrainian flag uncomfortable only in Ukraine

Merchant Shipping Code of Ukraine determines the list of 15 key documents, which should have a ship, including certificate and a minimum of crew members. Until the end of 2008 the duration of these documents was the same as the classification certificate is issued for five years of technical supervision authority (classification society) after a planned periodic maintenance or inspection of the vessel. However, the Inspectorate of State Registrar of the fleet decided that shipowners should receive a certificate of minimum manning every year. It is a document of about 300 USD., But for its design should provide additional expert conclusions that draws Shipping Safety Inspectorate.

This procedure was introduced in late 2009, and the price of this issue is already different - 2-3 thousand UAH. By the same procedure can take about a month, during which the vessel is idle. It is clear that the technical features of the vessel and therefore the required number of crew members are unlikely to change every year. Currently in the State Register of about 5 thousand ships, then there is the annual earnings of Shipping Safety Inspectorate for the "expertise" can reach around 10 mln. Remains cumbersome and the procedure for registration of the ship, which begins with the harmonization of the application with the Inspectorate of State Registrar of the fleet.

This stage lasts less than a month, and then you can apply the Harbour Master, to whom will be assigned to the ship. This fee will be charged as an inspection, and the Harbour Master. (For comparison: in Slovakia registration of a ship in the registry (for 33 euros /ship) gives the right to use the flag. A certificate of minimum manning does not provide this information is entered into the ship"s certificate. In Hungary, too, in a ship"s certificate provides information on the right use of the flag, ownership and minimal crew. And, as a rule, in the neighboring Danube and Black Sea countries, procedures for issuance of documents takes from two to ten days.)

In late December the Transport Ministry held a meeting on simplification of procedures for ship registration and documentation. According to its results last week was finalized draft of "Rules for determining minimu1000m manning of vessels navigating under the State flag of Ukraine", which should make life easier for domestic shipowners.

small business" headquarters branch "

However, such changes - it is only "cosmetic procedure", which can not be influenced dramatically by the transformation of Ukrainian flag, or rather Ukrainian jurisdiction, attractive for ship owners from other countries regulatory regime.

In the world there are two models of the jurisdiction of the flag. As the boat on international rules should be home port and the appropriate jurisdiction (not always comfortable at home shipowner), many less developed countries have used this fact to earnings. The first country flags of convenience in 1925, became Panama, the second in 1948 - Liberia. But in recent years under "flags of convenience" has been operating for three-quarters of world tonnage. For example, for a ship with a deadweight 5 thousand tons in such states set annual fee of around $ 1,5-2 thousand quite some time now "comfortable" became even Moldova and Mongolia. These countries provide preferential legal treatment, a kind of "flat tax" is not interfering in the activities of companies.

feature of work under "flags of convenience" - not strictly controlled by the maritime administrations, which often leads to a breach of international conventions in the field of maritime safety, improper wage mariners, etc. For some of these countries use the term "dirty flag." It is in particular Cambodia, ships flying the flag of which were seen in transport weapons, drugs, violation of the embargo against rogue states, etc. However, a lot depends on civility "friendly" countries. For example, in the latest report of the Paris Memorandum of Understanding in Port State Control Liberia is on the 20 th place in the world, not less "comfortable" Panama - the 65-m ("black" part of the list).

Other models include maintaining national registries of ships that do not provide for special preferential tax treatment. But in this case the conditions of comfortable work depends on the civilization of the country. For example, in Germany, France or Poland, registration of the fleet and complete necessary shipping documents much easier Ukrainian, and the potential for abuse by customs officials, environmentalists and health services are minimized. In addition, the maritime authorities of these countries really defend the interests of shipowners and seafarers in other countries.

the transformation of Ukraine into the country flags of convenience "and the transition to work under our jurisdiction we are not talking. Since October 2005, and remained unsold Initiative Ministry of Transport amending the Merchant Shipping Code, which would permit foreign investment in the shipping business in Ukraine. Today the Ukrainian flag the ship is entitled to raise only a company owned "exclusively Ukrainian founders." And if in the charter capital newly established shipping company has at least one foreign UAH, the Ukrainian flag on its ships can not raise. This legal anachronism and not eliminated.

And today we do not even the data for analysis, which would predict the economic impact of innovation. "Losses of the state is difficult to assess, because the conditions from the time of independence drove the fleet and sailors in the shade. The State would be $ 300-500 per year for every 1000 dwt (registration fee) and $ 500-2000 per year income tax on each worker sailor, "- said" k: "Vice President of the Ukrainian Danube Shipping Company Alexander Istomin. Pakistaea0n, recall, took fifth place in the world in the number of seamen (70 thousand), most of whom are working on ships under foreign flags.

solution of these problems will make Ukrainian flag attractive for foreign shipowners least because access to one of the world"s largest legal markets for employment of seafarers. After all, for any employer interested in low requirements of Ukrainian legislation to the size of the level of pay for staff at its high level of professionalism.

But, again, for 15 years talk about how to make Ukraine an attractive flag, a document or at least the project has not appeared. We can therefore only evaluate the multiplicative effect, which can get Ukraine, from the liberalization of the flag. Interviewed experts estimate additional revenues of $ 300 million to $ 1 billion a year. But while officials of entities of the Ministry of Transport has more mundane goals worth only a few tens of millions of hryvnia.

Alexander Arbuzov

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