Hot Port News from GAC
28-Jul-2020
ELECTRONIC SERVICE FEES
Suez Canal, Egypt
SACRIFICE HOLIDAY
Turkey
EID AL-ADHA HOLIDAYS ANNOUNCED
Yemen
DEPLOYMENT OF UNDERWATER WAVE SENSORS
Singapore
SHUTDOWN ORDERED
Punjab Province, Pakistan
EXEMPT COUNTRIES LIST UPDATED
United Kingdom
Electronic Service fees
Tuesday, July 28, 2020, Suez Canal, Egypt
In light of Suez Canal Authority’s efforts towards digital transformation, effective communication with customers and facilitating the transit process, Suez Canal Authority had decided the following:
A fee of $ 50 (only fifty US dollars) is charged for the usage of Suez Canal Authority’s Electronic Service, under the following conditions:
1. Every issued “Transit Dues” bill will be charged the afore mentioned Electronic Service fees.
2. The Electronic Service fees will be included in every issued “Transit Dues” bill as a separate item and amount under the name of “Electronic Transit Request (ETR)”.
3. The Electronic Service fees is considered an integral part of and related to normal transit dues where it neither affects nor affected by any surcharges or granted rebates. Hence; will be collected in the same currency in which the vessel’s transit dues had been collected, according to the exchange rate used on transit date.
Exempted vessels from Suez Canal Authority’s Electronic Service fees are:
1. Vessel’s exempted from transit dues whatever the reason of exemption.
2. Small floating units (of Suez Canal Gross Tonnage less than 300 tons except for “Navy Ships”).
This periodical shall be applicable to vessels transiting the Suez Canal starting from 1 August 2020.
(For information about operations in the Suez Canal, contact GAC Egypt at suezcanal@gac.com)
Source: Suez Canal Authority periodical dated 26 July 2020
Sacrifice Holiday
Tuesday, July 28, 2020, Turkey
There will be five days’ holiday in Turkey, from Thursday 30 July to Tuesday 4 August, to mark the Sacrifice Holiday. All official institutions and banks in the country will be closed during this period.
Timely arrangements for crew, spares, provisions, documentation, etc should be made and forwarded in good time ahead of the holiday.
Some ports may suspend their operations during the holiday period. Other may increased charges for official services (pilotage, towage, mooring, customs, etc) by 50%. Therefore, we recommend checking prior to calling at any Turkish Port.
A 50% additional pilotage charge will be valid for Turkish Straits between these dates.
For information about operations in Turkey, contact GAC Turkey at turkey@gac.com
Eid Al-Adha holidays announced
Tuesday, July 28, 2020, Yemen
The government of Yemen has announced that Eid Al-Adha holidays in the territory under its control will be from Thursday 30 July 2020 until Saturday 8 August. Work will resume on Sunday 9 August.
The ports of Aden, Rudhum, Mukalla, Ash Shihr, Nishtun will remain operational during Eid holidays. GAC Yemen office will maintain a skeleton staff to attend to urgent matters.
For information about operations in Yemen, contact GAC Yemen at yemen@gac.com
Deployment of underwater wave sensors
Tuesday, July 28, 2020, Singapore
From 28 July to 15 September, underwater wave sensors will be deployed within the following working area at the following coordinates (WGS 84 Datum):
Sensor ‘Wave-1’
1) 01 deg.13·372’N / 103 deg. 40·543’E
According to the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore Port Marine Notice No.038 of 2020, the working hours will be 24 hours daily including Sundays and Public Holidays.
Deployment of wave sensor will be carried out by work boat. The sensor will be attached to a ballast weight that is secured to the seabed. The sensor will remain underwater for about a month and a half before recovery.
A safety boat will be deployed to warn other craft in the vicinity of the working area during the deployment or recovery.
Craft involved in the deployment will exhibit the appropriate local and international day and night signals.
When in the vicinity of the working area, mariners are reminded to:
a) Keep well clear and not to enter the work area;
b) Maintain a proper lookout;
c) Proceed at a safe speed and navigate with caution;
d) Maintain a listening watch on VHF Channel 68 (Sinki Control) or VHF Channel 22 (Jurong Control);
and
e) Communicate with Sinki Control or Jurong Control for assistance, if required.
For information about operations in Singapore, contact GAC Singapore at singapore@gac.com
Shutdown ordered
Tuesday, July 28, 2020, Punjab Province, Pakistan
The Government of Punjab Province has ordered all business and commercial centres to remain closed from today (28 July) until 12:00am on Wednesday 5 August, in line with the national Government’s measures to stem the spread of coronavirus during Eid.
Exceptions are granted for a number of operations including medical services and pharmacies, oil depots, LPG outlets and inter-city and inter-district public transport.
For further details and updates, as well as information about operations in Pakistan, contact GAC Pakistan at pakistan@gac.com
Exempt countries list updated
Tuesday, July 28, 2020, United Kingdom
The UK Government travel corridor list of exempt countries has been updated, with effect from today (28 July), to include Estonia, Latvia, Slovakia, Slovenia and St Vincent and the Grenadines.
Spain was removed from the travel corridor list a few days ago.
If a person arrives in the UK from the Common Travel Area (CTA, which includes Ireland, the Channels Islands and the Isle of Man) or an exempt country after spending longer than 14 days in that location immediately before arrival, they do not need to complete the public health passenger locator form or self-isolate.
If a person has been to, or stopped in, a country that is NOT on the travel corridor list in the last two weeks, they still need to self-isolate until 14 days has passed since they left that country. Crew travelling to the UK who are NOT from a country listed on the corridor list should follow the quarantine guidelines relating to seafarer self-isolation exemptions.
For any crew changes, including on-signing non-ship crew (inspectors, engineers, superintendents, etc.), contact your local GAC branch in advance with all the details. They will check with their local Border Force office to ensure compliance with all the latest rulings.
The below ports currently have some restrictions in place for crew change:
– Braefoot Bay (no crew changes unless emergency)
– Flotta (crew changes not permitted)
– Ineos LPG & Hound Point (crew changes not permitted. Ineos J & E Jetties still permitting)
– Milford Haven (VPOT crew changes permitted via launch only, not jetty. Crew changes permitted via jetty at Puma, Dragon LNG & South Hook LNG)
– Pembroke – Valero (crew changes permitted via launch only, not via jetty)
– Sullom Voe (crew change considered on a case by case basis)
For further details and updates, as well as information about operations in the United Kingdom, contact GAC UK at uk@gac.com
