From next year, enterprises may import used ships for demolition, provided they satisfy environmental requirements.
This is prescribed in a draft decree compiled by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment to detail the implementation of the 2014 Law on Environmental Protection, which will come into force on January 1, 2015.
To be permitted to import and demolish an outdated ship, an enterprise would prepare an environmental protection dossier comprising a declaration of the actual state of the ship, a written commitment on satisfaction of environmental standards, and a copy of the ship-breaking yard’s certificate of satisfaction of environmental protection conditions, among others. At the same time, they would be required to buy environmental damage insurance.
According to director of the Vietnam Maritime Administration Nguyen Nhat, although ship breaking and recycling is a profitable industry, it may cause adverse environmental impacts if it is not strictly controlled.
In light of this, the Ministry of Transport is working on a draft decree providing conditions for the import and demolition of used ships.
“The draft decree stipulates that ship breaking and recycling constitute a conditional business, therefore, enterprises engaged in these activities must satisfy all conditions regarding capacity, experience and environmental protection,” Nhat said.
He added that in order to ensure that no risks will be posed to people and the environment, guidance on dangerous materials, types of to-be-demolished ships, ship breaking and recycling processes as well as requirements on ship breaking and recycling facilities must be specified.
Under the decree, permits for import of used seagoing ships would only be granted to lawfully established enterprises whose enterprise registration certificates indicate the business line of importing used vessels for demolition. In addition, enterprises must own, co-own or rent ship breaking facilities which are included in the planned system of ship breaking yards in Vietnam.-
