Captain Juan E. Maltéz: We continue to create a communication bridge between the shipping companies to promote job opportunities to our seafarers.

Interview by Captain Juan E. Maltéz, Director of Seafarers Directorate of the Panama Maritime Authority in cooperation with the Embassy and Consulate of Panama in Greece. 

– Tell us about the Panama Registry in relation to seafarers.

Officers and ratings on board of vessels under the Panamanian Flag must fulfil a series of qualifications required by the Certification Department of the Panama Maritime Authority. These requirements go according to the rank of the officer / rating and in compliance with the STCW Convention, 1978 as amended, the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006, as amended, and any other Panamanian and/or international regulations that might apply.

Our mission as an Authority is to certify that the crew comply with the minimum requirements of knowledge, experience, and competence for the position. The officer and/or rating must receive his certification by one of the Training Centres approved by the Panama Maritime Authority.

– For example, what are the training, certification, and job promotion programmes for seafarers?

One of our priorities as an Authority, is to comply with our commitment with Panamanian seafarers and its promotion onboard of vessels.

The Authority improved the Seafarers Data Base, to supply our clients with clear information of the seafarer and their rank, making it easier for companies within the maritime industry and owners who are interested in hiring Panamanian personnel.

All the information in our Seafarers Data Base is controlled by our Labour Affairs Department (LABORMAR) who receives all the information of the seafarer, acting as an intermediary between the company and the seafarer.

The data base is updated three (3) times per year, and it is maintained by information sent by seafarers from the International Maritime University of Panama (UMIP), Columbus University and officers from the Panamanian Association of Seafarers (APOM).

Some of the companies that have hired personnel via our data base are: Boluda, BSM, CAMPBELL, CANDINA, COMERCIAL DAGIN, GLOBAL SEAWAYS, GRUPO MOL, GRUPO SUEVIA, Hidrocarburos del Pacífico, Marítima AVILA, Steward Corporation, NAVESCO, and many others.

The market for Panamanian seafarers is encouraging. According to statistics managed by PMA, we have reached an amount of 1,505 work contract for seafarers, from which 128 correspond to the first trimester of 2023. We continue to create a communication bridge between the shipping companies to promote job opportunities to our seafarers. 

 – Partnerships have already been established in this direction with major shipping companies. What are the conditions for such cooperation and in what areas can it be established?

One of our recent cooperation agreements was with the company Euronav Ship Management, where we signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between them, PMA and The International Maritime University of Panama (UMIP).

In this agreement, we promote an integral cooperation framework with the purpose of increasing job opportunities for Panamanian officers, cadets, and junior personnel on board Euronav vessels.

Both parties engaged themselves to provide seagoing practice for Panamanian cadets, assigned by UMIP, by serving on board Euronav’ s vessels. It provided the ideal opportunity for the students to turn their career dreams into reality and to acquire experience, knowledge, and sea service (cadetship), and to obtain an officer’s license after completing twelve (12) months on board, in two consecutive voyages.

The MOU is effective as of 5 December 2022 and will remain in force for a period of five (5) years.

Another successful partnership is with the company MSC Shipmanagement Limited Cyprus, subsidiary of the shipping giant MSC Shipping, in cooperation with the Consulate of Panama in Greece and the Panama Maritime Authority.

MSC Shipmanagement Limited Cyprus and PMA signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), promoting mechanisms that facilitate the promotion of jobs opportunities for Panamanian officers, cadets and subordinate personnel to work on board the various ships segments, whether operated, owned or for which MSC provides crew management services, including the recruitment and placement of officers, junior staff and cadets. 

 

– Panama has also signed bilateral agreements with various maritime administrations of countries.

PMA has signed many bilateral agreements with different maritime administrations around the world. One of our recent agreements was in cooperation with the Embassy of Panama in Japan and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Tourism and Tourism of Japan (MLIT) were PMA signed a Bilateral Cooperation Agreement were both parties recognize the training and certification of seafarers under the Rule I/10 of the STCW Convention, 1978 as amended.

This is an excellent opportunity for our seafarers, this acknowledgment from the government of Japan will create many job opportunities for Panamanian seafarers.