01 additional types of inspection of inland waterway ships added as of August 15, 2023 in Vietnam

01 additional types of inspection of inland waterway ships added as of August 15, 2023 in Vietnam (Internet image)

The Minister of Transport issued Circular 16/2023/TT-BGTVT dated June 30, 2023 on amendments to some Articles of Circulars on registration and inspection of inland waterway ships

01 additional types of inspection of inland waterway ships as of August 15, 2023

Specifically, types of inspection of inland waterway ships as of August 15, 2023 include:

(1) Initial inspection, including: inspection of new ships, inspection of imported ships, and inspection of built ships without the supervision of the register authority;

(2) Regular inspection, including: periodical inspection, annual inspection, dry-docking inspection and intermediate inspection;

(3) Ad hoc inspection;

(4) Modification inspection.

(Current, Circular 48/2015/TT-BGTVT stipulates that the types of inspection of inland waterway ships include:

- Initial inspection, including: inspection of new ships, inspection of imported ships, and inspection of ship undergoing initial administrative registration;

- Regular inspection, including: periodical inspection, annual inspection, docking inspection and intermediate inspection;

- Ad hoc inspection which will be carried out in accordance with legislative documents, technical regulations and standards specified in Appendix I enclosed with Circular 48/2015/TT-BGTVT.

Thus, Circular 16/2023/TT-BGTVT has added the type of "Modification inspection" to one of the types of inspection of inland waterway ships.

Contents of registration of inland waterway ships in Vietnam

Contents of registration of inland waterway ships include:

- Appraise design documents and guidance documents of the ship.

- Carry out inspection of the satisfaction of technical safety and quality, and environmental protection requirements (hereinafter referred to as “inspection” and issue the certificate of satisfaction of technical safety and quality, and environmental protection requirements to the imported inland waterway ship.

- Carry out inspection and issue certificate to industrial products.

- Carry out inspection and issue certificate of satisfaction of technical safety and environmental protection requirements to a new, modified or repaired ship.

- Carry out inspection and issue certificate of satisfaction of technical safety and environmental protection requirements to an inland waterway ship during its operation.

- Measure and determine the deadweight tonnage and tonnage of the ship.

- Measure and examine freeboard and draught of the ship.

- Duplicate and appraise representative sample; appraise building design and as-built design of the ship.

(Article 4 of Circular 48/2015/TT-BGTVT)

Agencies performing registration and inspection of inland waterway ships in Vietnam as of August 15, 2023

Registration of inland waterway vehicles is carried out by the following agencies:

- Vietnam Register and its register authority shall appraise design and guidance documents in conformity with the capacity of their inspectors who appraise design.

- Register authorities which have been certified and ranked shall perform registration and inspection contents prescribed in Clauses 2, 3, 4, 5 and 8 Article 4 of Circular 48/2015/TT-BGTVT in conformity with their ranks specified in Clause 3 of Article 14 of Circular 48/2015/TT-BGTVT.

- Register authorities shall be ranked I, II or III according to their capacity as prescribed in Appendix X enclosed with Circular 48/2015/TT-BGTVT and perform registration and inspection contents as follows:

+ Rank-III register authorities shall take charge of registration and inspection of inland waterway ships with a total tonnage of less than 500 GT, inland waterway ships with total main engine capacity of less than 300 horse powers, inland waterway ships with capacity of less than 50 passengers (except for ships of VR-SB class, multi-hull ships, container ships, high-speed crafts, hovercrafts, hydrofoils, oil tankers, ships that carry hazardous chemicals, ships that carry liquefied gas and ships that carry dangerous goods.

+ Rank-II register authorities shall take charge of registration and inspection of inland waterway ships of all types (except for oil tankers with a total tonnage of 3000 GT and more, cargo ships of VR-SB class with a total tonnage of 3000 GT and more or passenger ships of VR-SB class with capacity of 100 passengers and more, ships that carry liquefied gas, ships that carry hazardous chemicals and ships that carry dangerous goods).

+ Rank-I register authorities shall take charge of registration of inland waterway ships of all types.

(Article 14 of Circular 48/2015/TT-BGTVT, amended in Circular 16/2023/TT-BGTVT)

Circular 16/2023/TT-BGTVT takes effect as of August 15, 2023.

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