Legal

Esenyel Partners: Importance of bunker declaration to customs at Turkish ports

If the amount of bunkers is under declared or overrepresented, the Customs Directorate will initiate a judicial investigation and implement criminal sanctions, it said.

Published

5 years ago

October 22, 2020

Admin

Capt. Deha Aydin, Marine Claims Executive at Turkish law firm Esenyel Partners, Lawyers & Consultants on 15 October published an article highlighting the importance of accurate bunker declarations at Turkish ports by detailing legal actions taken by the Customs Directorate if any vessels are found to have misdeclared its bunker quantity:

Ships calling at Turkish Ports are sent to the Customs Directorate in accordance with the customs regulations where they must declare items such as existing fuel (fuel-oil and diesel-oil), oils, cigarettes, and drinks.

Based on our recent experience, where the above items are missing and / or overrepresented, the Customs Directorate will initiate a judicial investigation in accordance with the relevant regulations, and implement criminal sanctions.

The amount of bunker fuel is determined according to Customs regulation ARTICLE 481 - (1) when ships enter the cabotage. As the amount of fuel they receive from other ports is shown in the ships' logbooks and the fuel logbook, the difference between the amount bunkered according to the logbook and the amount consumed according to the logbook and fuel logbook will be noted. The difference in bunker fuel is thus determined, and the amount to be subject to tax is calculated. According to paragraph 2 of Article 9 in the customs regulation regarding smuggled goods at customs halls and customs gates, customs clearance of persons suspected of hiding their belongings, cargo and vehicles can be searched by officials.

Smuggled goods detected as a result of the search will be seized immediately. Notably if the under-declaration of bunker fuel is detected as a result of the search, the excess fuel calculated will be debunkered and destroyed by authorities. In addition, a judicial investigation will be initiated against the Ship Captain and Chief Engineer for fuel smuggling. According to the Anti-Smuggling Code, numbered 5607, Article 3, Sub-article 1: The person who smuggles goods into the country without customs clearance will be faced with imprisonment from one to five years and a judicial fine of up to ten thousand days. In the case where goods are smuggled into the country somewhere rather than Customs Gate, the penalty is increased by one third to half.

The vessel will not be allowed to take off during the debunkering process of unreported fuel even though the process will delay the schedule of the ship. The process may take up to three days to complete. In practice, it is known that a delay will be incurred due to the arrangement for shore tanks and barges to be available. In addition, it is better to remind that undeclared bunker cannot be left in the vessel as security. The Correct measurement of the bunker and the correct declaration of bunker to Customs Directorate will prevent ship-owners, ship managers from experiencing any commercial losses due to delay.

Photo credit: Gordon Johnson from Pixabay
Published: 22 October, 2020

Winding up

Singapore: Notice of first and final dividend issued for East Marine Pte Ltd

First and final dividend to preferential creditors of East Marine is payable from 25 April through interbank transfer, reads notice in the Government Gazette.

Published

1 day ago

April 29, 2025

Admin

A notice was published in the Government Gazette on Friday (25 April), regarding the first and final dividend to preferential creditors of East Marine Pte Ltd.

The following are details of the notice of dividend of the company:

Name of Company : East Marine Pte Ltd (In Creditors’ Voluntary Liquidation)
Singapore UEN : 198601345E
Address of Registered Office : 8 Wilkie Road #03-08 Wilkie Edge, Singapore 228095
Amount per centum : 100.00 per centum of all admitted preferential claims pursuant to Section 203(1)(d), (e), (g) and (h) of the Insolvency, Restructuring and Dissolution Act 2018
First and final or otherwise : First and final
When payable : 25 April 2025 onwards
Where payable : Interbank transfer (all bank charges shall be borne by the recipient of the preferential dividend payment)

Photo credit: steve pb from Pixabay
Published: 29 April, 2025

Winding up

Singapore: Liquidator schedules final meeting for Kukuh Shipping Pte Ltd

Final meeting of members of the company will be held at 9 Raffles Place, #19-20 Republic Plaza Tower 2, Singapore 048619 on 26 May at 10 am, according to Government Gazette notice.

Published

2 days ago

April 28, 2025

Admin

The final meeting of members for Kukuh Shipping Pte Ltd, has been scheduled to take place on 26 May, according to the company’s liquidator on a notice posted on Friday (25 April) on the Government Gazette.

The meeting will be held at 9 Raffles Place, #19-20 Republic Plaza Tower 2, Singapore 048619 at 10 am.

It is being held for the purpose of receiving an account from the liquidator showing the manner in which the winding-up has been conducted and of hearing any explanation that may be given by the liquidator.

According to SGPBusiness, a business directory for companies registered in Singapore, the company's principal activity is in shipping, including chartering of ships and boats with crews.

The details of the liquidator are as follows:

Cheng Sam Tai Catherine
Liquidator
c/o Crowe Horwath First Trust Corporate Advisory Pte. Ltd.
9 Raffles Place, #19-20 Republic Plaza Tower 2, Singapore 048619

Photo credit: Jo_Johnston from Pixabay
Published: 28 April, 2025

Winding up

Final meeting scheduled for Diamond S Management (Singapore) Pte Ltd

Meeting will be held at 9.30am on 29 May by electronic means via a Zoom meeting to hear any explanation that may be given by the liquidator, according to Government Gazette notice.

Published

2 days ago

April 28, 2025

Admin

The final meeting of Diamond S Management (Singapore) Pte Ltd, has been scheduled to take place on 29 May, according to the company’s liquidators on a notice posted on Wednesday (16 October) on the Government Gazette.

The meeting will be held at 9.30am by way of electronic means via a Zoom meeting. It is being held for the purpose of the members to receive and consider the Liquidators’ Statement of Accounts, showing how the winding-up has been conducted and the property of the company has been disposed of and to receive an explanation thereof.

The liquidators of the company are Mona Low Sok Lee and Teo Chai Choo.

According to SGPBusiness, a business directory for companies registered in Singapore, and The Grid, B2B Sales Intelligence platform, the company’s principal activity is ship management services.

Note: Any member entitled to attend and vote at the meeting is entitled to appoint a proxy or corporate representative to attend and vote on his behalf. A proxy or corporate representative need not be a member. The instrument appointing a proxy or corporate representative must be deposited at the Registered Office of the Company at 4 Shenton Way, #04-01 SGX Centre 2, Singapore 068807 not less than seventy-two hours before the time set for holding of the Meeting.

Photo credit: Drew Beamer
Published: 28 April, 2025