宝くじ ビンゴ 5 Starts Recruiting Vietnamese Seafarers
Taking initiative to provide personnel for fleet expansion

March 16, 2006

TOKYO - Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (宝くじ ビンゴ 5, President: Akimitsu Ashida) today announced that the company has begun recruiting and training Vietnamese seafarers to serve aboard 宝くじ ビンゴ 5-operated vessels.

宝くじ ビンゴ 5's three-year mid-term management plan 宝くじ ビンゴ 5 STEP, which will be completed in March 2007, was revised as the 宝くじ ビンゴ 5 STEP Review in May 2005. The updated plan calls for a more aggressive fleet expansion from 663 vessels to 900 by March 2010. To meet increasing demands for seafarers associated with the fleet expansion, 宝くじ ビンゴ 5 operates its own manning companies and training centers around the world, to ensure the recruitment and training of top-quality mariners.

Vietnamese seafarers have earned a reputation as industrious, highly educated workers and can serve aboard international merchant vessels. 宝くじ ビンゴ 5 expects Vietnam to become an important source of seafarers to serve aboard its growing fleet. The company's efforts will also provide education and training of marine officers/ engineers from Vietnam, which is key to the Vietnamese government's plan to develop a strong national marine industry.

宝くじ ビンゴ 5's approaches to recruiting and training seafarers in Vietnam are as follows:

• 1) Expansion of Vietnamese manning
  The first Vietnamese mariners were assigned to an 宝くじ ビンゴ 5 vessel in March. In the future, the company will increase the number of the vessels on which Vietnamese officers and crews are assigned.
• 2) Japanese government cooperation in seafarer training for developing countries (accepting ODA trainees)
  宝くじ ビンゴ 5 will provide onboard practical training when the next phase of Official Development Assistance (ODA) training begins in October of this year. The training, which was suspended for several years, will resume at the request of the Vietnamese government.
• 3) Implementing onboard training for Vietnam nautical university students
  宝くじ ビンゴ 5 plans to start practical education and training on 宝くじ ビンゴ 5-operated vessels for students at the Vietnam Maritime University and University of Transport in Ho Chi Minh City.
• 4) Technical cooperation for opening of the national seafarer training center
  宝くじ ビンゴ 5 is discussing technical cooperation in the national seafarer training center that the Vietnamese Ministry of Transport Maritime Bureau plans to open.