Government to modernize seafarer training centers

Government to modernize seafarer training centers

JAKARTA (JP): The government signed a US$53.8 million contract
on Tuesday to modernize the training centers for Indonesian
seafarers so as to ensure they comply with the requirements set
out in the Standards of Training Certification and Watchkeeping
(STCW) convention.

The Ministry of Communications said in a statement that the
project would be undertaken by Ship Analytics International Inc.,
who had won the tender for the modernization project.

The contract was signed in a ceremony on Tuesday by
Purnomosidhi, the head of the ministry's Education and Training
Division, on behalf of the government, and by Alan J. Pesch on
behalf of Ship Analytics. It was witnessed by the Minister of
Communications, Agum Gumelar.

Funding for the project was obtained from a soft loan extended
by U.S. Exim Bank, and that the project was expected to be
finalized in 2002, the ministry said.

The contract would involve the procurement of training
equipment, including simulators, laboratory equipment and
computers for training centers in Jakarta, Semarang, Makassar,
Surabaya and Barombong in South Sulawesi.

It would also include upgrading the training of Indonesian
instructors and technicians in the United States so as to be able
to impart their skills here in accordance with the standards set
out in the STCW convention, the ministry said in the statement.

"The project has been given priority so that Indonesia can
retain its 'white list' status," the ministry said, referring to
a list of countries that are members of the International
Maritime Organization (IMO), and have fully implemented the STCW
convention.

The convention, which was issued in 1978 and was amended in
1995, was drawn up so as to ensure that the education and
training of seafarers in the use of aids to navigation, ship
equipment and devices was sufficiently comprehensive and was kept
satisfactorily up to date.

The convention, which finally came into effect on Feb. 1,
1997, was issued by the IMO, the United Nation's agency
responsible for improving maritime safety and preventing
pollution from ships.

It was ratified by Indonesia through a presidential decree on
Dec. 4, 1986.

As a consequence of Indonesia's ratification, Indonesian
sailors were required to abide by the standards outlined in the
convention or be disqualified from employment on foreign vessels.

The IMO requires all ratifying members to implement the
standards by 2001.

Some 20,000 Indonesian seamen work on foreign vessels-- or
about half of the total number of Indonesian seamen -- and were
threatened with losing their jobs this year because their skills
were considered not up to the standards mandated by the
convention.

The IMO's recognition of Indonesia's implementation of the
STCW late last year gave a reprieve for the nation's seamen, and
a breathing space in which to gradually bring their abilities up
to the standards required by 2002.

Besides the loss of jobs, if Indonesia failed to get onto
IMO's white list, Indonesian shipping companies would have to
hire foreign nationals to man their fleets, which would add to
the cost of their operations.(tnt)