March 19

 

Maritime

·         Resolution No. 23/20 issued by the naval command (Prefectura General Naval or “PGN”): sets forth that the following preventive measures must be implemented in order to stop the spread of COVID-19, which affects private and state ports, shipping companies, maritime agencies and general crew operating within the jurisdiction of the PGN:

a)       Prior boarding and after the immediate disembarkation of crew members of vessels sailing in the jurisdiction of the PGN, medical checks will be carried out by the MSPyBS. For this purpose, the captain of each vessel shall be responsible for coordinating via VHF, boarding/disembarking the crew of his vessel with the Zone Prefectures, authorizing the boarding/disembarkation at the site providing for control by MSPyBS.

Notwithstanding the above, the boarding of the doctor hired by the company may be coordinated with the Chief of Fluvial Police, in order for him to carry out the medical control of the crew members instead of the MSPyBS staff.

Once the medical check has been carried out for the crew, the record of this check must be submitted together with the role of crew. An authenticated copy of the issued record must be submitted at the boarding/disembarkation locations and the original document must be kept by the crew member.

b)       Private ports shall be responsible before the PGN for the approval of the crew members of the vessels operating on them to be authorized by the Zone Prefecture for the corresponding boarding and disembarkation.

c)       Shipping companies are authorized to board medical personnel who are hired by them for the purpose of routine checks on on-board personnel. Such boarding must be coordinated in advance with PGN's Fluvial Police Chief and will be accompanied by PGN’s officers.

d)       The PGN will comply with the provision of the MSPBS, so that any crew member who enters national territory on board vessels carrying out international cabotage, whether citizen or foreign, must comply with home isolation and social estrangement for 14 consecutive days. The control of the mandatory isolation of the crew shall be carried out by the corresponding Zone Prefecture, as disembarking, in coordination with the MSPyBS.

e)       Shipping companies and shipowners are urged to keep their crews fixed, in order to prevent the virus from spreading into other crews.

f)        Failure to comply with these measures shall be punishable by a penalty of a fine of 500 to 1000 minimum daily wages. It shall also be communicated to the Public Prosecutor's Office for the relevant legal purposes.

March 20

 

·         Provision of the Directorate-General for Merchant Marines (DGMM) No. 10/20: in relation with Decree No. 3.478/2020, the following exceptional measures to enable private ports, vessels and related industries under were established:

a)      Paraguay's vessel and port terminal permits that are valid until March 21, are automatically extended for a period of 90 days from April 1, so that they can continue its normal operations.

b)      It guarantees the service of shipyards and naval workshops to river freight ships.

April 6

 

·         DGMM release: In relation with DGMM provision No. 10/2020 and the Decree No. 3.512/20, specifically in its article 2°, numeral 12, the DGMM has provided that all digital channels will be available 24 hours, 7 days a week:

 

ü  Import Cargo Authorization Service through the VUI;

ü  Export Cargo Authorization Service through the VUE; and,

ü  Electronic collection of these services in according to the provisions of the BNF.

 

More payment methods will be enabled soon.

April 15

 

·         PGN Resolution No. 26/2020: By which the PGN orders the mandatory incorporation of the traveler / crew health sheet in view of the risk of expansion of the coronavirus (COVID-19) within the national territory approved by the MSPyBS that affects shipping companies, maritime agencies and crew in general that operate within the jurisdiction of the PGN (Here model sheet).

 

For the purposes of this incorporation, the following conditions are established:

-          The Crewmembers of each Vessel, sailing in the jurisdiction of the PGN, must complete the medical record of the passengers and the crew, prior to the disembarkation of the traveler or crew member.

-          The Shipping Companies, Maritime Agencies, Private Ports, must enforce through the Captains and Managers the completion of the declaration form before reaching the destination port, which will be delivered to the Maritime Authority before disembarking. One of the variables of epidemiological importance that must be reported in the file is if the traveler or crew member presented signs and symptoms in the last 10 days during the journey.

-          The Captains and Managers of each vessel must notify the Prefecture of the Area in advance if any traveler or crew member declared symptoms on his or her card.

-          The Captains and Managers of each vessel will be responsible to the PGN for any crew member disembarking without first completing the traveler's file.

-          Failure to comply with these conditions will be sanctioned with a fine of 500 to 1,000 minimum wages for various unspecified activities and will be communicated to the Public Ministry for the relevant legal purposes.