D G Shipping rolls out verification process to weed out seafarers holding fraudulent certificates
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Allaying concerns over loss of jobs due to its July circular, the Directorate General of Shipping has stated that Indian seafarers are not being debarred or disqualified from sailing per se and can continue to sail in their respective ranks based on the genuine qualification certificates provided their documentation is found to be in order.To assess the authenticity of certificates issued to Indian seafarers by foreign maritime administrations that are not recognised by India, the D G Shipping has put in place a verification process. The move comes in the wake of concerns expressed by unions that the circular issued by the maritime regulator on July 18 would hurt thousands of seafarers' employed on foreign flagged ships.Under a validation process aimed at weeding out Indian seafarers holding fraudulently obtained Certificate of Competency (CoC) and Certificate of Proficiency (CoP), India's maritime regulator has asked the affected seafarers to submit their original training and certification records through the D G Shipping-approved Recruitment and Placement Service License (RPSL) agents who have hired them on the last contract.The documents to be submitted includes CoC/CoP issued by state parties which are not recognised by India, STCW modular courses relevant to the CoC/CoP, competency course relevant to the CoC and seagoing service records with copies of the Continuous Discharge Certificate (CDC) showing the relevant sea service preceding the issuance of the CoC/CoP, according to an addendum issued by the D G Shipping on August 5.The documents and records have to be submitted along with a notarised affidavit, duly sworn and signed by the seafarer, attesting their authenticity.The RPSL agents have been asked to submit a separate case file for each seafarer along with the documents and records to the D G Shipping within 30 days.A Committee notified by the D G Shipping will then undertake verification of the seafarers' certificates and assess the authenticity of the certificates issued by the foreign administrations and training providers.'If the documents are found to be genuine and meeting the requirements of the STCW Convention, then the seafarers' shall be permitted to join vessels immediately. If not, the reports will be forwarded to the concerned maritime administration for cancellation of CoC/CoP and the RPSL agency and the seafarer will be duly informed about the action being initiated,' Capt Ravi Singh Sikarwar, Nautical Surveyor-cum-DDG (Technical) wrote in the August 5 addendum.The D G Shipping reiterated that its July 18 circular 'does not impose any blanket restriction or prohibition on seafarers from continuing their employment or sailing'.'The circular merely mandates verification of certificates of the seafarers by the RPSL agency, holding qualifications from certain foreign administrations, in the interest of safeguarding maritime safety and regulatory compliance. The seafarers are not being debarred or disqualified from sailing per se; they can continue to sail in their respective ranks based on the genuine CoC/CoP, provided their documentation is found to be in order. The intent of the circular is purely regulatory and preventive, aimed at identifying and acting against fraudulent practices, without causing undue hardship to genuine seafarers,' the regulator said.The D G Shipping said it has received representation from seafarers' unions on the July 18 circular, expressing their concern and the need to have a validation process for seafarers with genuine certificates.'At the same time, all the industry associations and the seafarers' unions expressed support for the cleanup efforts of the DGS and stressed that action should be taken against persons holding fraudulent certificates ,' the D G Shipping added.
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