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Richard Coleman, CEO of the Vanuatu Maritime College (VMC) has revealed that the Government of Malaysia will assist the College to uplift its survival training standards thanks to the assistance of Mr Laurent Parenté, Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the International Maritime Organization (IMO).
VMC trains seafarers for both the domestic and international shipping industry and requires to maintain its training equipment to the highest standards in order to satisfy the maritime regulatory authority, explains Mr. Coleman.
The current lifeboat is eighteen years old, of the open type which is obsolete and the engine has broken down not to mention that spares are no longer available which severely restricts the training provided in sea survival says Mr. Coleman.
The purchase of a totally enclosed lifeboat with a 25 or 36 person capacity, including in-board diesel engine propulsion and external water spray facility along with the launching davits and the remedial and upgrade works to the wharf and launch platform for a total sum of 25 000 000 VT was not financially feasible for the VMC explained Mr. Coleman.
Thanks to Ambassador Parenté competences and networking among the international maritime community, the VMC sensed that his assistance could pay off and it did says Mr. Coleman.
Ambassador Parenté has indeed confirmed that the Government of Malaysia will provide not only the enclosed lifeboat and its davits (small crane) but will also undertake the lifeboat shipping cost, its installation and the wharf upgrade works costs for a total value of Vt25 million.
A team of Malaysian experts have arrived in Port Vila on June 10 for 5 days to assess the current condition of the wharf before work on installation of davits can be carried out once the lifeboat arrives on Santo, says Mr Parenté.
“Mr. Coleman’s professionalism and high aspirations for the VMC has comforted me in putting all my efforts in this project in approaching Malaysia currently serving as Chairman of the IMO Technical Cooperation Committee or TCC (Ambassador Parenté is Vice Chairman).
“Malaysia responded positively to my request and I am confident that when I will be elected Chairman of the TCC next year Vanuatu will gain tremendous maritime capacity building supports,” says Ambassador Parenté.
The provision and installation of a fully enclosed lifeboat will tremendously assist the VMC in providing even better quality trainings bringing new employment opportunities to Vanuatu seafarers on internationally trading vessels.
Mr. Coleman and Ambassador Parenté are now hoping to extend the international recognition of Vanuatu seafarer’s certificates beyond the region through the IMO Member States representation channel and the assistance of the Vanuatu International Shipping Registry (VMSL) which has developed over the years a vast foreign seafarers certificates recognition scheme.
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the New Zealand Government will help establish an independent regulator for Vanuatu’s maritime sector, to be known as the Office of the Maritime Regulator (OMR).
A media report released by ADB Wednesday says the announcement follows the passage of the Maritime Sector Regulatory Act 2016.
The new law was drafted as part of the ongoing Vanuatu Interisland Shipping Support Project, co-financed by ADB, and the governments of New Zealand and Vanuatu.
The passing of the new Act and the establishment of the new maritime regulator are the project’s latest milestones.
“The Vanuatu Interisland Shipping Support Project working through the OMR will boost safety and security in the country’s maritime sector.
“The community, industry, and staff of the new regulator are set to benefit from this initiative,” said Jotham Napat, Vanuatu’s Minister for Infrastructure and Public Utilities.
The new entity will operate independently to oversee the maritime sector in Vanuatu including shipping and ports safety and security, as well as the economic regulation of Vanuatu’s seaports.
“An improved legislative structure to manage Vanuatu’s shipping and ports, including enhanced safety, monitoring and enforcement of maritime law are direct benefits to be gained from the new regulator,” said Emma Fan, Regional Director of ADB’s Pacific Liaison and Coordination Office in Australia.
A task force is being established to carry out the transition to the new regulator. The reform process is being delivered by the Ministry of Infrastructure and Public Utilities and the Vanuatu Project Management Unit. Funding was provided by the New Zealand Government, the Government of Vanuatu, and ADB as part of the Vanuatu Interisland Shipping Support Project. The new regulator is expected to begin operation in the third quarter of 2017.
“As a Pacific maritime nation, New Zealand recognises the importance for Vanuatu of improving the safety, security and prosperity of its’ shipping industry.
“The establishment of Maritime Vanuatu is an important step towards achieving much needed reform in the sector,” said New Zealand High Commissioner to Vanuatu, Ms Georgina Roberts.T
Implemented over five years, the Vanuatu Interisland Shipping Support Project is improving domestic port facilities and expanding shipping services to remote islands.
It is financing a new interisland terminal and a new dredged shipping channel in the capital, Port Vila, and constructing new wharves and jetties in remote areas of Vanuatu, including: Simonsen in Luganville, Port Sandwich on Malekula, Lolowai on Ambae, Loltong on Pentecost. The project is also repairing existing wharves at Litzlitz on Malekula, and Lenakel on Tanna.
Three archers have qualified for the Pacific Mini Games in Vanuatu which will be held in December this year.
They are Robert Elder, Fred Leota and Lisa Leota.
World Archery Fiji National Secretary Ajay Ballu says from now on these three will need to prove themselves more and improve on their personal bests because they will be competing against some of the best players around the Pacific. Ballu says they are our gold medal prospects and they are hoping that this Fiji Games will at least aid them in their preparation for the Mini Games.
He says toughest opponents of Archery comes from New Caledonia and Tahiti. Suva dominated in the Fiji Games as they took out three gold medals in the Archery events.
Despite only two districts taking part, Suva managed to take out the gold medals in three of the five events which included Compound Men, Compound Women and Mixed Equipment/Mixed Gender.
Meanwhile, Nadi won gold in the Women’s Softball.
Silver went to Suva with Lami winning Bronze.
The Men’s Baseball event had Suva winning Gold, Lami settling with Silver and Nadi with Bronze.
Athletics Fiji President Joseph Rodan Senior says the Fiji Games has been a huge part of the athletes build up who are not only taking part in the 5th Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games in Turkmenistan next week but also for the upcoming Pacific Mini Games at the end of the year in Vanuatu.
The young team of Franziska Hildebrand, Franziska Preuss, Vanessa Hinz and Dahlmeier clocked 1 hour, 11 minutes, 54.6 seconds to beat France by just over 1 minute. Italy took bronze, 1:06.1 behind.
Germany missed six targets overall, avoiding any laps around the penalty loop.
Maria Dorin Habert of France, who has two individual gold medals at these worlds, passed Russia and France on the last leg and to take her team from fourth to second.