Team Herald
MARGAO: The Goa Seaman Association of India (GSAI) has welcomed the amendments proposed by the Directorate General of Shipping (DG-Shipping) to allow the widening of the scope of welfare benefits to all ranks of seafarers and for mandating foreign ship owners to pay provident fund to Indian seafarers.
These amendments to the Seamen’s Provident Fund Act, 1966, will allow providing schemes for annuity funds and gratuity to the existing Act.The Central government has invited comments and suggestions from the stakeholders to the draft Seamen’s Provident Fund (Amendment) Bill, 2023, from February 21 to March 24, 2023.
GSAI President Frank Viegas, who welcomed the amendments, urged the seafarer community of Goa to read through the proposed amendments and send in their comments.Under the proposed amendments, DG-Shipping has broadened the ambit of the application of the Act to the foreign-flagged ships employing Indian seafarers, which will enable amendment to the existing Seamen Provident Fund Scheme.
The draft Bill seeks to introduce the Seafarers Annuity Fund Scheme and Seafarers Gratuity Fund Scheme for Indian seafarers, to be administered by the Seamen’s Provident Fund Organisation.Besides a host of other incidental and related Amendments proposed in the Bill, the name of the Act shall also be amended and the new name proposed to be given is ‘Seafarers’ Provident Fund and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1966.
