Georgetown: Beginning in May 2019, the Maritime Administration Department (MARAD) will be rolling out its Card of Competency for seafarers.
This will come at no extra cost for persons with existing documents or first-time applicants. Director of Maritime Safety, Captain John Flores highlighted the persisting issue of fraudulent certificates while at a seminar for Seafarers hosted today. Held at the Regency Suites, the seminar focused on the new guidelines regarding the operation of vessels.
“What we are grappling with now in the Maritime administration, is the issue of fraudulent certification, which is also affecting safety… We want to keep one step ahead of the people out there who are making these things. There might be several printing shops operating around the country which produce all of these documents”, the Maritime Safety Director noted.
Meanwhile, Director-General, Claudette Rogers, in her remarks, focused on the importance of the new card of competency. “Unfortunately, most of the milestone developments in legislation have been prompted by major casualties at sea… We should not have to wait on a catastrophic accident in order to focus our minds on the human element of shipping”, said Director-General Rogers.
This move by the Maritime Administration Department falls in line with the government’s commitment to safety on Guyana’s waters, as is stipulated by the International Maritime Organisation and the Laws of Guyana.
You must be logged in to post a comment.