PH stakeholders press for implementing rules on IMO verified gross mass policy

Calls are mounting for the release of Philippine government guidelines concerning the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) policy on verified gross mass (VGM), with effectivity of the regulation less than four months away.

There was much confusion at a recent forum discussing IMO’s Safety of Life at Sea ( SOLAS) VGM policy as it became apparent there were no government regulations specifically formulated to comply with the measure. The forum on the SOLAS VGM policy was organized by the Philippine International Seafreight Forwarders Association, Inc. (PISFA) and PortCalls on March 11 at the Diamond Hotel.

On July 1 this year, amendments to Chapter VI Part A Regulation 2 of the SOLAS Convention will take effect, requiring the shipper of a packed container to verify the VGM of a container and indicate this to the carrier or port operator before the box is loaded onto a vessel. Without the VGM, the container will not be allowed to load.

The SOLAS policy requires a competent government authority to interpret the regulation and issue guidelines to suit the local scenario. The Philippines has no such government authority yet; the Association of International Shipping Lines (AISL) is urging the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) to take the lead.

AISL general manager Atty. Maximino Cruz, during the forum’s Q&A, said guidelines are needed “as soon as possible” because without them, “we can foresee some possible port disruptions” once the VGM policy takes effect.

Questions “will be endless unless we have the guidelines in place,” Cruz noted, adding there are also “conflicting issues” stakeholders cannot just decide or solve among themselves.

Maria Cecilia Bejoc, Maersk-Filipinas, Inc.’s inland operations manager who was a forum speaker, noted there are issues that can only be answered by guidelines to be issued by the competent government authority.

These include the cutoff time for submitting the VGM; format to communicate the VGM; allowed method of submission; how to deal with non-compliance; and the allowable tolerance since weight of car- goes may be affected by natural factors such as humidity and handling.

Cruz said AISL is suggesting that PPA take the lead “because it handles 70% of all (Philippine) cargoes coming in and going out of the ports.” Other port authorities can follow suit after, he noted.

AISL previously met with PPA officials, and sent a letter to PPA officerin-charge Raul Santos dated February 18, saying that “for the effective enforcement of the new IMO policy and to settle conflicts which may arise in the course of implementation, AISL believes that the Philippine Ports Authority should take the lead and act as the competent government authority in addressing and resolving the national issues.”

AISL acknowledged efforts of the PPA to release relevant orders and circulars on container weighing, but requested that “a new PPA order or circular be issued with specific reference to the SOLAS amendments on verified gross weight and taking into account the previous issuances of your office if still deemed applicable.” – www. portcalls.com