The Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation has successfully concluded a key training programme for marine vessel surveyors, marking a significant step towards streamlining safety compliance and certification processes, particularly in the Atolls.
The initiative, focused on ensuring national maritime standards are upheld across all atolls, saw representatives from 38 local councils complete the comprehensive programme. The Ministry said that this expansion of qualified personnel will greatly facilitate the mandatory survey and certification of vessels operating across the island nation.
The training programme was specifically designed to equip local surveyors with the expertise necessary to identify all requisite factors for certification, ensuring that rural marine vessels strictly conform to the operational and safety standards established by the Ministry.
Under national maritime regulations, every vessel designed for use in Maldivian waters must undergo an annual survey and be equipped with safety measures appropriate to its purpose. Additionally, the regulations dictate that both the surveying process and the issuance of valid safety certificates can only be conducted by individuals and specific locations explicitly authorised by the Ministry as certificates issued by unauthorised parties are deemed invalid.
The newly trained surveyors will be crucial in enforcing mandatory inspections required under various circumstances - before a vessel’s new registration, prior to its initial placement in service, upon the expiry of existing certificates, and following any significant accident or damage to the hull, engines, or other vital machinery.
This nationwide effort is expected to bolster maritime safety standards by ensuring continuous compliance from all operating vessels.