By Delly Waigeno – EM TV News, Port Moresby
The amount of time spent on the clearance of ships and maritime vessels continues to be an issue for ship owners and operators in Papua New Guinea.
This issue was discussed yesterday at the National Seminar on Facilitation of Maritime Traffic, hosted by the National Maritime Safety Authority (NMSA) in consultation with the International Maritime Organisation (IMO).
The seminar looked at using electronic means, as a single window concept, for the clearance of ships within PNG waters.
The three-day National Seminar on Facilitation of Maritime Traffic, which began Monday, is an opportunity to discuss PNG’s access to the FAL Convention or the Convention on Facilitation of International Maritime Traffic.
The FAL Convention facilitates maritime transport by reducing paper work, and making the formalities, document requirements and procedures simpler for the arrival, stay and departure of ships engaged on international voyages.
The seminar was attended by ship-owners, operators and agents, who agreed that clearance of maritime vessels is a lengthy process with responsible authorities requiring various different documents.
Currently, getting clearance from Customs, Health, Quarantine, Port Authorities and Fisheries Authorities can be costly.
The IMO wants to assist PNG in getting access to the FAL Convention which incorporates all activities related to the use of a single window concept to facilitate trade and commerce using maritime transport, which will benefit many of the participants.
The seminar continues today.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=rzFix-OSVis%3Ffeature%3Doembed%26wmode%3Dopaque%26showinfo%3D0%26showsearch%3D0%26rel%3D0
