Steel ship ruling impedes trade, says business group

Kota Kinabalu: The BIMP-EAGA Business Council of Malaysia (BEBC) stressed that the International Maritime Organization (IMO) standards that there should no longer be any wooden vessels allowed to traverse in international waters but only steel-made ships along international waters, is impeding maritime trade in BIMP-EAGA (Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East Asean Growth Area).

This matter was brought up and highlighted at the Special BIMP-EAGA Transport Cluster Meeting was held on Zoom on Dec 21 chaired by Datuk Roselan Johar Mohamed, the national chairman of the BIMP-EAGA Business Council of Malaysia.

BIMP-EAGA is an economic cooperation formally created in 1994, covering the border areas of Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines. Its goals are spawning increased investments, trade and tourism within the Asean sub-region.

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Roselan urges the use of non-conventional sized ships (NCSS) to participate in trade activities in the BIMP-EAGA and is pushing for the recognition of the NCSS including wooden vessels weighing less than 5,000 tonnage, which are now being prohibited from trading due to international maritime laws.

 

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