Oman’s Ministry of Transport and Communications (MoTC) has signed agreements with three ship classification societies for small ships that do not abide by international treaties, said a report in Times of Oman.
The agreements were signed with the British (Lloyds Register of Shipping), Italian (Rina) and Emirati (Tasneef) ship classification societies.
Saeed bin Hamdoon bin Saif Al Harthy, undersecretary of Ports and Maritime Affairs, signed the agreements on behalf of the ministry and the chief executive officers and regional directors represented the classification societies.
Additionally, the authorization involves conducting a technical survey on ships holding the Omani flag, as well as the issue of global certification.
The deals will approve the three classification societies to supervise small ships that are not standing by the global treaties to confirm their navigational validities.
The ministry also plans to sign pacts with other international ship classification societies, thus providing more options for the ships owners regarding this matter, Harthy said.
This authorisation is part of the IMO decision and its amendments, as well articles for a set of IMO agreements, which demands the technical certificates for ships by a recognised classification society, which are approved by the maritime authorities of Oman.