RO Marine Incident and Provisional List of Approved Insurance Companies
Circular #017
Date: March 31, 2025
Dear Esteemed Agents and Clients,
We wish to bring to your attention a serious matter concerning the fraudulent insurance company, RO Marine, which has been uncovered through investigative journalism and collaboration with international authorities.
RO Marine has been falsely presenting itself as a Norwegian P&I Club and issuing fraudulent insurance certificates to various vessels, including one recently registered under Vanuatu that slipped administrative supervision. Investigations have shown that RO Marine lacks the necessary authorization from the Financial Supervisory Authority of Norway to sell or broker insurance. The company is currently under investigation for document forgery and operating without the required license.
To uphold the integrity and safety of our fleet, the Vanuatu International Shipping Registry does not recognize RO Marine as an approved insurance provider and never has.
In response to this situation, we are establishing a provisional list of approved insurance companies. This list will remain in effect until December 31, 2025, and includes the recognized providers detailed in the attached document. The administration will continuously review and update this list as necessary. Effective immediately, only insurance policies issued by the listed companies will be accepted for our fleet.
We strongly encourage all agents and clients to verify their insurance arrangements and ensure compliance with the approved list. If you have policies under RO Marine or any unapproved entities, please contact us immediately for guidance on resolving these issues.
We appreciate your cooperation in ensuring the safety and compliance of our operations.
Should you have any questions or require assistance, please do not hesitate to reach out to our office directly.
Sincerely,
Saade Makhlouf
President and CEO
Vanuatu Logistics and Administrative Services Limited (VLAS)
Administrator of the Vanuatu International Shipping Registry (VISR)