MARAD OPENS VISA ENROLLMENT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2004

MARAD OPENS VISA ENROLLMENT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2004    The U.S. Maritime Administration has opened enrollment of the Voluntary Intermodal Sealift Agreement (VISA) program for fiscal year 2004.
   The VISA program, which was created under the 1950 Defense Production Act, is open to all U.S.-flag vessel operators of military-useful ships. Voyage and space charterers are not considered U.S.-flag vessel operators for purposes of VISA eligibility.
   Current participants in the VISA program are not required to apply for reenrollment. These operators’ participation will be automatically extended for fiscal year 2004, MarAd said.
   The purpose of VISA is to provide “staged, time-phased availability” of participants’ ships to meet the military’s contingency requirements through prenegotiated contracts.
   “In addition to receiving priority in the award of DOD (Defense Department) peacetime cargo, a participant will receive compensation during contingency activation,” MarAd said.
   VISA applicants must submit their completed application documents to MarAd by no later than May 30. For more information and applications, contact Frances M. Olsen, deputy director for MarAd’s Office of Sealift Support, at (202) 366-2323.