Izah Azahari
Brunei Gas Carriers Sdn Bhd (BGC) held its second Maritime Talent Pipeline Achievements ceremony at The Empire Brunei yesterday, in celebration of three important milestones – BGC’s achievement of Ship Management Transition (SMT), the promotion to rank of BGC ship officers, and the signing of contracts for BGC scholars.
The joint special guests were Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office and Minister of Finance and Economy II Dato Seri Setia Dr Awang Haji Mohd Amin Liew bin Abdullah; and Minister of Transport and Infocommunications Dato Seri Setia Awang Abdul Mutalib bin Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Setia Dato Paduka Haji Mohd Yusof as Chairman of the Maritime and Port Authority of Brunei Darussalam (MPABD) Board.
Also present were permanent secretaries, deputy permanent secretaries, senior government officials, Brunei Shell Joint Venture Companies senior management and BGC management, together with staff and families.
BGC Managing Director Pengiran Shamhary bin Pengiran Dato Paduka Haji Mustapha said, “In June 2019, BGC was awarded its full-term Document of Compliance (DOC) by MPABD, after a series of successful audits by a marine classification society.
“The significance of obtaining the DOC is the official recognition of BGC as a fully-fledged ship owner and manager, and the first deep water shipping company in Brunei to achieve this.
“It means that BGC’s capabilities are on par with international standards and has the ability to do business internationally, and carry Brunei’s name to new horizons in the world of shipping.
“A lot of effort was put in by the people to complete the transition. The company had to restructure and develop the capability and competencies of both our onshore and shipboard personnel. The company had the will and belief to not just own the ships, but to manage and operate them ourselves.”
He paid tribute to the tireless efforts of BGC’s management, onshore and shipboard personnel, “not only over the past six years since the ship management transition journey began, but from the days of the Brunei Shell Tankers B-Class vessels”.
Pengiran Shamhary also highlighted BGC’s commitment to the development of Bruneian seafarers, which remains a key focus area in strengthening the BGC workforce, as well as supporting the growth of local talent in the Brunei maritime industry as a whole.
“In keeping with our promise to nurture and develop local talent, I am pleased to announce that we will be celebrating the promotion of 15 of our ship officers, out of whom six will be receiving their epaulettes from our fleet manager,” he said.
The managing directoradded that another achievement was the witnessing of the signing of contracts of BGC scholars during the event, as well as two new deck cadets under the Marine Cadetship Programme.
“Our scholarship programmes are instrumental in helping to develop our Bruneian seafarers from cadet level all the way up to senior management, in accordance with international standards.
“The COVID-19 outbreak has impacted on people’s lives, families and communities, and as the national and international response continues to develop, organisations are operating in uncharted waters. In these unprecedented times, the ability of shipping services to continue undisrupted across the continents plays a critical role in overcoming this pandemic.
“Shipping operations, including that of BGC, also face challenges, including the ability to send our seafarers to renew their international certifications or to attend training that enables them to move up the ranks.
“We have had to adapt and explore new means. In this respect, I am pleased to announce that BGC will be formalising our collaboration with the Singapore Maritime Academy through a signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) next week.
“This collaboration will provide a new platform for our scholars to undertake their studies somewhere closer to home. It also opens an avenue to explore potential business opportunities, increasing our technical know-how and ultimately boost our aspiration to become the main talent pipeline for the maritime industry in Brunei Darussalam.”
The speech was followed with the presentation of an SMT video, the promotion ceremony and the signing of the Higher Ticket Agreement 2021, as well as a video presentation from vessels and the signing of the Cadetship Agreement Intake for 2021.
The event ended with a gallery tour featuring BGC’s Ship Management Transition journey, talent pipeline achievements and various workstreams within the organisation.