PANAMA MARITIME AUTHORITY

PANAMA MARITIME AUTHORITY
NEWSLETTER
PSA INTERNATIONAL TO
BUILD CONTAINER PORT IN
PANAMA
AAPA TO HOLD LATIN
AMERICAN MEETING IN
PANAMA
Panama’s National Assembly approved,
early April, the Contract-Law for the
construction by Port of Singapore Authority
(PSA) International of a container terminal
in the former Rodman Navy Base where
Parque Industrial Maritimo de Panama
(PIMPSA) operates a bunker facility.
PSA International plans to invest some
$150M to transform the terminal into a
facility with a 330m container and rollon-roll-off
berth that will be able to
handle about 450,000teus per year. The
construction is expected to begin within
the next months.
From June 17-21, Panama will host the American
Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) XVII
Congress of Latin American Ports under the
theme “How to prepare our ports according to the
global trend of maritime traffic”. The country’s
strategic location, the Panama Canal expansion
project and the highly successful transshipment
operation at terminals on both sites of the Isthmus
make of Panama the ideal location for that event.
Topics will include: Latin America’s role in global
container traffic, the benefits of the Panama
Canal expansion in international and regional
commerce, regional transshipment, port finance
and maritime training, amongst others.
The XVII Congress of Latin American ports
will be inaugurated by the President of Panama,
the Hon. Martin Torrijos jointly with Mr. Ken
O’Hollaren, Chairman of the AAPA Board,
on Tuesday evening June 18. On the next day,
Panama Maritime Authority Administrator, Mr.
Fernando Solorzano will address the attendees
during the first session, Wednesday morning
June 19.
For further information,
visit www.aapa-panama.com
contact us at, infoaapa@amp.gob.pa
PANAMA MARITIME AUTHORITY MEETS CLASSIFICATION SOCIETIES
The Panama Maritime Authority (AMP)
held its fourth reunion with IACs and
ROs as part of its regular meetings with
classification societies. The workshop,
that took place in Panama City, Panama,
was inaugurated by AMP Administrator
Fernando Solorzano, with the participation
of Panama’s Ambassador to the UK and IMO
permanent mission, Ms. Liliana Fernandez,
Alfonso Castillero, Director of Merchant
Marine, Napoleon Smith from Segumar -
New York and representatives of 10 IACs and
16 Recognized Organizations (ROs).
Topics of the technical meetings [one day
with the IACs and the next day with the ROs]
addressed future Class audits and verification
on how IACs and ROs carry out their
responsibilities over the Panamanian fleet,
the adoption of IMO conventions, including
the implementation of SOLAS and Load lines
1988 protocols, the Antifouling Convention
and Marpol Annex VI, as well as the Flag
inspections, detentions and Port State Control,
amongst others. It is important to promote
mutual cooperation between the ROs, in
particular for the transfer of information
and to give them permanent feedbacks on
the IMO committees and subcommittees’
debates, and review ROs [IACs and non
IACs] performance on Very Serious / Serious
casualties and detentions, said AMP director
of Merchant Marine Alfonso Castillero.
Port State Control’s rules have to be ‘tightly’
implemented, said Mr. Castillero who added:
“The IMO Secretary General and IMO
members have made great effort to develop
the regulations with follow up procedures,
such as the PSC detention statistics, Audit
results and casualties already in place”. Last
September, Panama’s National Assembly
ratified Protocol 1988 which enters force in
September 2008 and “it was necessary for the
AMP to introduce the new norms to improve
safety standards on the vessels and establish
a direct line of communication with all the
Classification Societies,” said Mr. Castillero.
Panama Maritime Authority officials also
briefed Classification Societies and ROs
representatives on the modernization process
and digitalization of all AMP systems and
Consulates around the world, including the
digitalized seafarer identification (ID) to
be issued by the Directorate of Merchant
Marine. The ‘seafarer passport’ is to
incorporate 20 security features including
fingerprints, biometrics, digital photographs
and bearers signature making it impossible to
be duplicated or forged.
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