According to an article published in Safety4Sea, China Maritime Safety Administration (MSA) and Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) have inked a Memorandum of Understanding.
Use of Electronic Certificates
The MoU has been inked to cooperate in the issuance, use, and acceptance of Electronic Certificates to facilitate port clearance and Port State Control inspections.
The MoU was signed between Dr Cao Desheng, Director General of the MSA and Ms Quah Ley Hoon, CEO of MPA Singapore, at the 11th China-Singapore Senior Officials’ Committee Meeting (SOCM) in Beijing, China, on 5 September.
Key documents in port clearance
The certificates of ships and its crew are key documents used in port clearance. The use of electronic certificates will bring several benefits, from improving the efficiency of port clearance, reducing the administrative burden on shipping companies and ships, to allowing for effective enforcement by maritime and port authorities.
During the 6th session of its Sub-Committee on Human Element, Training and Watchkeeping (HTW 6) on 29 April-3 May, IMO established a correspondence group to consider how to address the use of electronic certificates and documents of seafarers.
21st Century Maritime Silk Road
This MoU builds upon the partnership between China and Singapore under the 2011 MoU on Maritime, Shipping and Port Cooperation between China’s Ministry of Transport and Singapore’s Ministry of Transport.
They also advance the “21st Century Maritime Silk Road” under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
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Source: Safety4Sea
