Pakistan launches online ship and boat registration system
Vessel owners can now apply for registration electronically, with online fee payments expected to start within 15 days.
The online Ship and Boat Registration System is operational, brecorder.com reported, Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry announced on Friday.
The minister said in a statement that the ship and boat registration modules are now fully open for online applications, which means vessel owners no longer need to visit government offices to file them, according to his office.
He said the system is meant to modernise maritime administration by cutting paperwork, saving applicants time and money, improving transparency and keeping a current national database of registered vessels.
The Mercantile Marine Department (MMD), under the Ministry of Maritime Affairs, registers merchant ships, fishing boats, sailing vessels and harbour crafts under the Merchant Shipping Ordinance and related laws.
The ministry is also working to add online payments, the statement said.
Officials of the MMD and the State Bank of Pakistan are scheduled to meet to discuss building an electronic payment mechanism into the system.
The online payment facility is expected to start within the next 15 days, the minister said, letting applicants pay registration fees through a single payment link.
Minister Chaudhry said digital registration could also help coastal areas prepare for climate risks.
A centralised database of fishing vessels and their owners, linked with climate-risk mapping, cyclone early-warning systems and fisheries management, could help authorities identify vulnerable fishing communities, speed emergency responses and support timely evacuations during extreme weather, he said.
Background
The Mercantile Marine Department handles vessel registration for the country, and the shift to online applications is part of wider efforts to digitise government services.
