The General Office of the Ministry of Transport ("MOT") has recently issued the Opinions on Further Intensifying Safety Management of Shipping Companies (the "Opinions").
The Opinions set out requirements in four aspects, including "ensuring shipping companies will fulfil their subject responsibilities in work safety", "enabling waterway transport authorities to earnestly perform their duties in industry regulation" and "requiring maritime regulators to strictly perform their duties in safety regulation". Among others, the Opinions clearly state that, shipping companies shall fully realize that waterway transport involves specialized expertise, and shall fulfill their subject responsibilities in work safety to effectively ensure work safety. Also, shipping companies will be inspired to manager their vessels on their own, have their own sailors and establish the safety management system by themselves. A shipping company that has developed a safety management system in line with relevant provisions will not be required to make further efforts in work safety standardization. Moreover, the Opinions state that, waterway transport authorities shall hold firm to the principle of territorial management, diligently perform their duties in industry regulation, and prompt shipping companies to conduct business operations in a safe manner. A shipping company not meeting conditions for business qualifications will never be granted an administrative approval.