Shipbuilders seek interest cut, 15 per cent cash incentive on export at a Seminar on Shipbuilding organized by EPB, Chittagong

Chittagong, 18 May, 2010: Shipbuilders today (Tuesday) urged the government to provide 15 per cent cash incentive on vessel export, cut in bank interest rate and simplifying of visa procedures for foreign buyers in order to give the sector a boost.

“To promote this emerging industry at such primary level, the government should provide at least 15 per cent cash incentive on export to offset various constraints in the sector,” said Mr. Sakhawat Hossain, Managing Director of Western Marine Shipyards Limited at a seminar on ‘Present Condition & Export Opportunities of Shipbuilding in Bangladesh,’ organized by the Bangladesh Export Promotion Bureau in the port city.

Mr. Sakhawat who delivered the keynote paper at the seminar also urged the government to slash the interest rate on bank loan to 6 – 7 per cent from present 13 to 14 per cent to become competitive with other shipbuilding nations such as India, Korea, China & Vietnam which receive bank finance for shipbuilding projects at 6 to 7 per cent interest rate.

He also suggested the government to organize shipbuilding exhibition in Bangladesh to introduce the competent, cost effective and competitive shipbuilding industry of Bangladesh as well as to support the local shipyards in participating international exhibition abroad to secure foreign shipbuilding orders.

Senior Vice-president of Chittagong Chamber of Commerce & Industry (CCCI) Mr. M A Salam and Md. Rabiul Islam, Director of Board of Investment, Chittagong were present at the seminar, held at the EPB conference room as the chief guest and special guest respectively.

The seminar was presided over by the director of EPB, Chittagong Md. Golam Mustofa Speaking at the seminar, MA Salam sought more cooperation from different government bodies, including Chittagong Development Authority and Department of Environment for flourishing the shipbuilding sector. Md. Golam Mustofa said the government had declared shipbuilding sector as thrust sector in Export Policy 2009-2012 which would usher a new horizon in country’s national economy.

Representatives of most of commercial Banks and government bodies were also present in the seminar.

Western Marine Shipyard’s (WMShL) Chairman Honored with “Business Person of the Year Award” by the Daily Star & DHL

Chittagong, 16 April, 2010: Chairman, WMShL, Mr. Saiful Islam received this prestigious award on 16th April 2010 for his outstanding contribution in Bangladesh’s shipbuilding industry at Hotel Sonargaon.

Mr. Islam is also the President of Bangladesh German Chamber of Commerce & Industry (BGCCI) & a well-renowned CIP. Recently, as the Managing Director of Picard Bangladesh, he has received “National Export Trophy” (gold medal) from the Prime Minister for outstanding contribution in export of leather products of the company, a German-Bangladesh Joint Venture engaged in producing leather goods.

Western Marine’s achievement could never have been possible without the visionary leadership of the Chairman of the company, Mr. Islam. Last February, Western Marine has exported an Oily Waste Reception Vessel to Finland. Currently they are constructing five Ice Class container vessels for Denmark, twelve MPC vessels for Germany, one Platform Supply Vessel for Libya, two passenger ferries for Pakistan, and few vessels for the domestic market.

Mr. Islam’s leadership as the Chairman of Western Marine has brought this yard to international prominence in the area of shipbuilding. With a 2200 men strong skilled workforce having $ 50Million in fixed assets and almost 80% growth in the last 3 years, this yard has built 55 vessels since 2000. Today, Bangladesh can be proud as a nation for being able to export vessels to European countries from whom we used to import our vessels ones.

Danish Minister for Development & Cooperation, Mr. Soren Pind from The Kingdom of Denmark, visits Bangladesh’s leading shipyard, Western Marine Shipyard in Ctg

Chittagong, 12 April, 2010: The Honorable Danish Minister for Development Cooperation, Mr. Søren Pind will be visiting the country’s leading shipyard Western Marine in Chittagong today (Monday, 12 April 2010). The Minister will be accompanied by Danish Ambassador to Bangladesh, His Excellency Mr. Einar Hebogård Jensen, & a Danish business delegation comprising of representatives from various Danish organizations.

The Minister is on a 4 days visit to Bangladesh since 10th April 2010. He will make a goodwill visit to Western Marine during his 2 days long trip to Chittagong from 11 April. The purpose of this visit is to witness various development projects in Bangladesh under the Danish Ministry of Development & Cooperation. In this trip the Minister is scheduled to visit local communities in Rangamati a part of Danish Project for development on sanitation & agriculture; KAFCO and Sea Resources & Fishers Shipyard for Danish B2B project development.

Ambassador Einar Hebogard Jensen from Royal Danish Embassy in Dhaka, visits Bangladesh’s leading shipyard, Western Marine Shipyard in Ctg

Chittagong, 22 March, 2010: His Excellency Einar Hebogård Jensen, the Ambassador, Royal Danish embassy in Bangladesh visited Western Marine Shipyard Ltd in Chittagong today (Monday, 22 March 2010). He came to the yard as a pre-visit for the upcoming Goodwill visit of Danish Development Minister in Western Marine next month.

During the visit the Ambassador said that he had visited this yard in 2008 & today he is impressed to see so many changes & development in this yard at a short time. He was also very pleased to see the number of employees working in Western Marine who got their training from Denmark in various fields, through Business to Business Project under the Danish Embassy. The Managing Director of Western Marine, Mr. Sakhawat Hossain said that after the disastrous global financial crisis the Danish shipbuilding project Stella got delayed, but it has been restarted now upon collaboration of Stella (Danish ship buyer) & Western Marine (Bangladeshi shipbuilder), forming a new company Stella BD in January 2010.

The Ambassador has also visited KAFCO & Sea Resources Ltd, a private company specialized in fishing equipments during his one day trip to Chittagong.

Western Marine to handover first Oily Waste Reception Vessel to CPA

Chittagong, 11 February, 2010: The capacity of the Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) will enhance significantly as the Western Marine Shipyard Limited is going to handover an Oily Waste Reception vessel to the port authority.

Western Marine chairman Mr. Saiful Islam announced this today (February 10, 2010) at a press conference at Hotel Ambrosia in the port city.

The 25 meter long vessel commissioned as ‘Bay Cleaner-2’ will be delivered from the shipyard of the Western Marine situated at the Kolagaon under Potia upazilla in Chittagong. The vessel, first of its kind in Bangladesh, is designed to receive accumulated wasted oil from ships, tankers and other vessels to prevent discharge in the sea and safeguard of marine environment as an IMO requirement under SOLAS Marpol (73/78).

Minister for Shipping Mr. Shajahan Khan is expected to be present at the progarmme as the chief guest while Mr. Nur-E-Alam Chowdhury MP, Chairman of the parliamentary standing committee on shipping ministry as the special guest.

Earlier, CPA gave a contract to the LAMOR Corporation AB of Finland, one of the manufacturers of finest spill response systems and products, to build an Oily Waste Reception Vessel for the port. The LAMOR group later teamed up with Western Marine and built the vessel at its shipyard.

Western Marine Chairman Mr. Saiful Islam said the building of the spill response system for the CPA is a testimony of Western Marine’s capability in the specialized marine vessel segment.

Managing Director of Western Marine, Mr. Sakhawat Hossain said, “Western Marine will continue its focus on building quality vessels and ensuring timely delivery to maintain highest level of customer satisfaction,”

He said the addition of this vessel would help building capacity of CPA and hoped that Western Marine will get more contracts from CPA in future to increase the efficiency of country’s premier sea port.

Currently Western Marine has the order of building 19 more vessels for its foreign buyers which are expected to be delivered by 2012. Besides, Western Marine has the order of building four more vessels for the domestic market.

The construction of Bay Cleaner-2 was started in April 2009 at Western Marine Shipyard Ltd, Chittagong with design made by Four Ship, Finland & approved by international classification society Germanischer Lloyd (GL), and Germany.

Oil spill is a worldwide concern for its serious environmental consequences. According to IMO regulations (MARPOL 73 / 78) introduced recently on prevention of conventional pollution, all the internationally certified sea ports are obliged to have waste oily water reception facility to preserve the global environment and marine life at sea. To meet IMO terms, sea-ports must have a shore based station with floating reception ship to collect oily waste from the sea and prevent dispersion of polluted water.

Ambassador A.J.A.J.M.G. Hennekens of Embassy of the Netherlands to Bangladesh to Visit Bangladesh’s Leading shipyard: Western Marine at Ctg

Chittagong, 10 February, 2010: Mr. A.J.A.J.M.G. Hennekens, the Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Bangladesh will be visiting Western Marine Shipyard Ltd. in Chittagong today, 10 February 2010. He will be accompanied by local dignitaries and high officials of few Dutch Companies. The main purpose of his visit is to see the ongoing shipbuilding projects at our shipyard and its work progress.

During the shipyard visit, the team will examine the current status of this emerging industry in Bangladesh which will determine our business collaboration with the Dutch investors. Therefore, as a matter of national interest Western Marine, involved in shipbuilding for the foreign buyers including Denmark, Germany, Finland & Pakistan, is very much optimistic about this goodwill visit at their shipyard. They are hopeful that this will further stretch the strong business relation of Bangladesh & the Netherlands and will open a new opportunity of bilateral trade between the two nations through investment in the Bangladeshi shipyards & technology transfer.

It maybe mentioned that currently Western Marine is already associated with certain Dutch companies like Peter’s Shipyard, MK Shipping, HRP, ECONOSTO, El-Tech, Bramen Shipping Industries, Coops & Nieborg and NRF for their following foreign shipbuilding projects: 5 X 4100 DWT ice-class container vessels for Stella Shipping, Denmark; 12 X 5200 DWT MPC vessels for Grona Shipping, Germany, 1 X floating reception vessel for LAMOR AB, Finland; & 2 X passenger boats for Karachi Port Trust, Pakistan. The outstanding shipbuilding practice of the company has enhanced it to achieve a global reputation at a very short period of time ensuring several international contracts & also local orders to meet the demand for inland vessels, in both the public & private sector.

High Profiled Dutch Delegation Team to Visit Western Marine Shipyard in Chittagong Today

Chittagong, 01 February, 2010: A Dutch high-profile delegation team will be visiting leading shipyard of the nation Western Marine Shipyard Ltd in Chittagong today, 1st February 2010. The delegation comprises of producers of components & services required for maritime industry and similar industries. The purpose of this visit is to examine the shipyard & verify the investment opportunity in the shipbuilding sector of the country. The team will be headed by the head of delegation Mr. Harry Th. Pronk, & Acting Head of Mission from Dutch Embassy Mrs. Doris Voorbraak.

During the shipyard visit, the team will examine the current status of this emerging industry in Bangladesh which will determine our business collaboration with the Dutch investors. Therefore, as a matter of national interest Western Marine, involved in shipbuilding for the foreign buyers including Denmark, Germany, Finland & Pakistan, is very much optimistic about this goodwill visit at their shipyard. They are hopeful that this will further stretch the strong business relation of Bangladesh & the Netherlands and will open a new opportunity of bilateral trade between the two nations through investment in the Bangladeshi shipyards & technology transfer.

It maybe mentioned that currently Western Marine is already associated with certain Dutch companies like Peter’s Shipyard, MK Shipping, HRP, ECONOSTO, El-Tech, Bramen Shipping Industries, Coops & Nieborg and NRF for their following foreign shipbuilding projects: 5 X 4100 DWT ice-class container vessels for Stella Shipping, Denmark; 12 X 5200 DWT MPC vessels for Grona Shipping, Germany, 1 X floating reception vessel for LAMOR AB, Finland; & 2 X passenger boats for Karachi Port Trust, Pakistan. The outstanding shipbuilding practice of the company has enhanced it to achieve a global reputation at a very short period of time ensuring several international contracts & also local orders to meet the demand for inland vessels, in both the public & private sector.

Ambassador Mr. Holger Michael, Embassy of Federal Republic of Germany to Bangladesh, visits Bangladesh’s leading shipyard, Western Marine Shipyard in Ctg

Chittagong, 11 January, 2010: His Excellency Mr. Holger Michael, the Ambassador of Federal Republic of Germany to Bangladesh made a Goodwill visit to Western Marine Shipyard Ltd. in Chittagong today (11 January 2010).

Western Marine Shipyard currently engaged in shipbuilding for the foreign buyers including Denmark, Germany & Pakistan is very much optimistic about this goodwill visit at their shipyard. They are hopeful that this will further stretch the Bangladesh-Denmark strong diplomatic relation and will open new opportunity of bilateral trade between the two nations.

Western Marine Shipyard Awarded 2nd Prize in ICME2009 Exhibition, Buet, Dhaka

Chittagong, 26 December, 2009: A three day long engineering exhibition was organized by the Mechanical Engineering Dept of BUET in the campus of BUET starting from 26 Dec 2009. 41 organizations participated in the exhibition to display their engineering activity & their contribution to the nation. This exhibition was brought up with an international conference on Mechanical Engineering alongside, where researchers from number of foreign countries took part.

Western Marine Shipyard, the leading shipyard in the country participated in the exhibition & awarded the 2nd prize for their outstanding performance & display in the exhibit. The prize was awarded by the Hon’ble Industry Minister, Dr. Dilip Barua in the closing ceremony of the exhibition.

Western Marine one of the biggest shipyard in the country is currently engaged in shipbuilding for foreign buyers. The shipyard has confirmed orders for 18 no. of international ocean-going vessels. Its order consists of 5 X 4100 DWT Ice-class Container Vessels for Denmark, 12 X 5200 DWT Multi Purpose Cargo vessels for Germany & 1 X Floating Reception Vessel for a Finis buyer. The outstanding shipbuilding practice of the company has enhanced it to achieve a global reputation at a very short period of time ensuring several international contracts & also local orders to meet the demand for inland vessels, in both the public & private sector.