International Registries, Inc. and its affiliates (IRI), which provide administrative and technical support to the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) Maritime and Corporate Registries, has appointed a new Technical Officer in its Imabari office, strengthening its support and services for the Japanese ship owning market.
“We now have more than 400 employees in our 27 offices worldwide and by hiring an extremely experienced technical officer in Imabari, who understands every aspect of vessel safety and day-to-day operations, we are upgrading our service commitment to our growing number of Japanese owners and operators,” said Bill Gallagher, President, IRI.
“IRI is committed to resourcing the RMI Registry with the breadth and depth of expertise needed to manage a fleet that today comprises 4,286 vessels and more than 155 million gross tons (GT),” Gallagher continued.
Commenting on the appointment, Annie Ng, Head of Asia, IRI, added, “We are the only international maritime registry with an office and resources available to register a vessel and offer technical support in Imabari, which is the home of Japan’s ship owning sector.”
“Having a senior marine technical and safety expert locally is important as we can provide the Japanese shipping community with an experienced maritime professional as well as our owners and operators throughout Asia,” continued Ng.
“The RMI office in Japan has been led by Masaharu Okamoto for the last 10 years and he has been instrumental in adding 7 million GT from Japanese owners to our fleet; we extend our sincere appreciation to him for his dedicated commitment to building our presence in this important market,” she added.
“Furthermore, the RMI Maritime Administrator began issuing documents and certificates electronically as part of the initial vessel registration package and is working towards the issuance of all certificates electronically which has been of benefit to our owners and operators in all markets,” continued Ng.
The International Maritime Organization (IMO) guidelines, FAL.5/Circ.39/Rev.2, set out features for electronic certificates to enable stakeholders the ability to verify their authenticity. “As per the IMO guidelines, initial registration documents can now be sent electronically and verified using a Quick Response (QR) Code and Unique Tracking Number (UTN) which allows port State control officers the ability to verify the authenticity of these documents via the Registry’s website,” said Ng.
“The RMI Registry continues to focus on providing the best quality service through qualified personnel from our worldwide offices; with the addition of a new technical officer in our Imabari office, we have not only strengthened our technical capacity for owners in Asia but also for all of our owners whose ships trade in Asia,” concluded Gallagher.
