[ P&I Clubs Need to Strengthen Presence in Asia ]

Some P&I clubs need to strenthen their presence in Asia, according to
Robert Ho, president of Fairmont Shipping(HK) Ltd, and vice-chairman
of the London P&I Club.
Writing in the latest issue of the London Club newsletter, Mr Ho
says, “Existing clubs must think locally, and reach out more to
where the tonnage is owned. The London Club was one of the first to
reach out like that, and the members feel that this is a club where
they can really participate.”
According to Mr. Ho, it is difficult to identify an Asian owner on
the boards of some clubs. “There is a great deal of frustration
amongst local Asian owners at present,” he says. “they feel
powerless to influence changes which affect them, such as issues of
bulk carrier strength, or the ISM Code. They have always been
reluctant to take a high profile in international organisations, but
the clubs can should do more to encourage them to punch their true
weight.”
Mr. Ho thinks that club managers could do more to encourage cultural
change, by setting up stronger secondment programmes. “We should
see more people from Asia working in the club head offices, and that
would help owners in the region to identify with the clubs,” he
says. “Owners are not united enough when it comes to the clubs. We
need more contract between the clubs at member and owner level rather
thatn just between the managers.”
Mr. Ho would like to find ways to mobilise the power of shippowners
in the clubs. He supports the Asian Shipowners Forum in its push for
an International Group supervisory board made up of shipowners,
perhaps the chairman of the different clubs. “They could set common
objectives,”he concludes.