Need support policy to salvage sunken ships due to storm No. 3

The Vietnam Maritime Administration has just reported to the Ministry of Transport (MOT) about the policy of supporting part of the cost of salvaging ships sunk by storm No. 3.

According to the report of Quang Ninh Maritime Port Authority, the sunken assets caused by storm No. 3 in the sea of ​​Quang Ninh province were mostly inland waterway vehicles and 1 vehicle registered as a seagoing vessel (tugboat Hong Gai) that was sunk.

Currently, the partial support for the cost of salvaging ships sunk by storm No. 3 for ship owners cannot be implemented from the Maritime Port Authority's expenditure source because it is not on the assigned expenditure list (Illustration photo).

At the time of reporting, the sunken assets in the area managed by the Quang Ninh Maritime Port Authority were reported by the owners of the vehicles to have been salvaged and the related costs were paid by the owners of the vehicles.

Quang Ninh Maritime Port Authority has approved the plan to salvage sunken assets according to Decree No. 05/2017 of the Government regulating the handling of sunken assets on inland waterways, seaport waters and sea areas of Vietnam.

According to the Vietnam Maritime Administration, the maritime port authorities under the Administration are enjoying the autonomy mechanism of public service units. Maritime port authorities are classified as public service units with the level of financial autonomy that ensures regular expenditures from the retained maritime fees.

According to the provisions of the State Budget Law and related regulations, the payment of partial support for the cost of salvaging ships sunk by storm No. 3 for ship owners cannot be made from the expenditure source of the Maritime Port Authority because it is not on the list of assigned expenditures.

Vietnam Maritime Administration said that currently, the legal regulations on using funding sources to partially support the cost of salvaging ships sunk by storm No. 3 are from a number of budget sources such as the Provincial Natural Disaster Prevention and Control Fund for support, the State budget reserve of Quang Ninh province for support, the Financial Reserve Fund of Quang Ninh province for support, and using other local budget reserves to support Quang Ninh province in overcoming the consequences of serious natural disasters and catastrophes.

At the same time, the funding source to partially support the cost of salvaging the shipwrecked by storm No. 3 will also be supplemented from the central budget to the Quang Ninh provincial budget to cover the consequences of natural disasters, catastrophes, and epidemics on a large scale, after the lower-level budget has used the budget reserve and financial reserve fund according to regulations but has not met the demand.

From here, the Vietnam Maritime Administration recommends that the Ministry of Transport issue a document reporting to the Prime Minister to assign the People's Committee of Quang Ninh province to propose support for damages of ship owners sunk in seaport waters, inland waterway waters and other waters in Quang Ninh province from the province's local budget reserve, socialized sources, financial reserve fund, and the province's natural disaster prevention and control fund according to regulations.

At the same time, the People's Committee of Quang Ninh province directed local departments and branches to approve specific salvage plans for sunken assets according to the functions and tasks assigned in Decree No. 05/2017, as well as approve the plan to compensate for the difference in costs of salvaging sunken assets and other related direct costs reviewed after deducting the proceeds from selling sunken assets after salvaging.

This is to partially reduce the damage and difficulties of ship owners and watercraft owners who sank after storm No. 3.

The Vietnam Maritime Administration also recommended that the Ministry of Transport report to the Prime Minister to assign the Ministry of Finance to coordinate with the People's Committee of Quang Ninh province to promptly consider and support a part of the central budget for the province in the total support fund for ship owners and watercraft owners that sank after storm No. 3 according to the provisions of the state budget law.

Source: https://www.baogiaothong.vn/can-chinh-sach-ho-tro-truc-vot-tau-chim-dam-do-bao-so-3-19224121715062097.htm