Section 17. Ship recycling plan.

(1) No Ship Recycler shall recycle any ship without a ship recycling plan prepared in accordance with the guidelines issued under sub-section (2) and approved by the Competent Authority. (2) The National Authority may specify the guidelines for the preparation of a ship recycling plan for different categories of ships: Provided that the Competent Authority may, after hearing the Ship Recycler, refuse to approve the ship recycling plan if it has reasons to believe that the plan does not comply with the guidelines specified by the National Authority. (3) Where the Competent Authority fails to convey its decision regarding approval of the ship recycling plan within fifteen days of its submission, the plan shall be deemed to have been approved.