Damen ship yard

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Big Pete
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Re: Damen ship yard

Post by Big Pete »

You do Business in Africa, you pay bribes. If you don't pay the bribes you won't do any Business. Simple.
If you want to keep your business running and employ people, and pay dividends to the share holders for the use of their money, and Taxes to your Government, then you sometimes have to pay bribes or the work will go to someone that isn't so fussy. Then your workers lose their jobs, your shareholders lose there money and your Government has to pay welfare benefits to your ex employees instead of collecting Tax from your Business and your employees.

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Revolver
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Re: Damen ship yard

Post by Revolver »

Absolutely, legality aside, bribery is a big part of the world like it or not. Cost of doing business in some places...

I've heard many stories of port reps who come aboard "I can do this, arrange this, blah blah *ahem*"
And if you don't respond to that *ahem*, doing this and arranging that is either going to take significantly longer or not at all haha
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JK
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Re: Damen ship yard

Post by JK »

In the old USSR that was 2 bags of coffee and sugar

Seriously
Big Pete
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Re: Damen ship yard

Post by Big Pete »

I was in the Crimea about 4 years ago, about 6 people from Port Health came down every daY with shopping bags and helped themselves to everything they could carry every day. Any complaints and they would arrest the ship for health deficiencies. Same with Port State Control, the guy came on board and sat down in the ship's office and said he wanted x thousand Dollars otherwise he would search the ship until he found a defect somewhere, and then detain the ship, and he had a bout 40 years experience, so I am pretty sure he could have found a defect on any ship he went on..
The shipping companies were so used to it that every sensible ship owner employed a local bribe negotiator, for another couple of thousand dollars to negotiate the extortion down to a reasonable level.
Not how anyone in our Counties wants to run a business, but accepted as normal in Asia, Africa, most of the former Soviet Block, and South America.

BP
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JK
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Re: Damen ship yard

Post by JK »

We were in Valencia to discharge, waited and waited and waited. The Mate was muttering about baksheesh and holding firm. Eventually we hooked up, but meanwhile I got to go to Gibraltar and have a tour. Never did find out if the Mate finally caved, lol.
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The Dieselduck
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Re: Damen ship yard

Post by The Dieselduck »

Some JB Weld and a flashlight in Cuba... thought that was pretty easy.
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Re: Damen ship yard

Post by Revolver »

Was it a good flashlight?
I don't think I'd part with mine... Or at least I'd tack on decent OT to buy a new one hah
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JollyJack
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Re: Damen ship yard

Post by JollyJack »

"Compliments" in India and Pakistan, "dash" in west Africa, "baksheesh" in the Sewage Canal........it's all the same, extortion.
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