Page 45: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (May 2020)

SHIp REgISTERIES & CoviD-19

Facilitating Maritime Commerce During a Pandemic the world will look like after COVID-19, “In the next fve but we do know that in the aftermath of years we should set this our owners and operators will need our support more than ever. a goal to have no more paper – the

How do you see today’s situation im- pacting ship registry?

signing process and

Gallagher, IRI The situation has made document exchange all of us think outside of the box and in- novate. We are implementing new ways of the past will not of doing business and working with cli- exist in the future.” ents. For example, we have worked with banks, owners, and other industry stake- holders to complete mortgage recordings

Bill Gallagher, and legal transactions during this time.

President, International

We have implemented procedures for vir-

Registries Inc.

tual inspections, which look different for

International Registries Inc.

every vessel.

Cigarruista, Panama The most code, which leads to an application that an online platform and database 20 years displays the document information in real ago. Additionally, we have initiated an complicated thing to date is dealing with time, proving its authenticity. online system for our owners/operators the entire fleet and its different needs.

In the first quarter of 2020, the Ship and manning agents to apply for seafar-

Many routine practices and process have become increasingly complicated. For Registry has shown a sustainable growth ers’ documentation online. We are also in ships and tonnage; we are exceeding able to issue vessel certificates electroni- example, docking for repairs and mainte- what we had planned and contributing cally. nance, accidents on board, crew changes, positively in terms of figures in the fleet inspections, certification and follow-up of 8,289 ships.

When the smoke clears and there is audits, all those processes represent now a return to normalcy, what areas will you strengthen to prepare for the next a challenge.

How was your organization best pre- event of this magnitude?

Since we took over the administra- pared for this ‘Black Swan’ event?

Cigarruista, Panama Innovation tion in July 2019 with the change of

Gallagher, IRI Having 28 world- government, at the General Directorate wide offices with technical experts and and technology; the least possible red tape; and even more simplicity of the pro- of Merchant Marine (which is the Ship knowledgeable staff spread out across the

Registry) we have been re-engineering world has really been a key asset during cesses. processes and gradually modernizing this crisis because it allowed us to move

Gallagher, IRI Industry wide we need the registry and thanks to that, we have operations around to stay at full capac- been able to implement and react quickly ity for our clients. Prior to COVID-19, to collaborate to strengthen digitization efforts. In the next five years we should to this situation. Our latest innovation is each office was empowered to make de- proof of that. We have introduced the cer- cisions for clients in their own market – set a goal to have no more paper – the tificates of registration of ships and radio so the local leadership was confident and signing process and document exchange licenses electronically. There are many comfortable addressing challenges and of the past will not exist in the future. We should as an industry ensure that every- measures to ensure document protection: problem solving. Having key resourc- a paperless initiative – eco-friendly, self- es spread around the globe, and such a one is fully functional outside the office. I protected documents from unauthorized strong global network, has prevented a believe it is important for IMO and other editions, a unique sequential number as- lot of the communication problems or international bodies to fully support digi- signed and controlled only by the Panama delays for technical, marine safety, and talization from universal acceptance of

Maritime Authority’s Directorate of Mer- radio issues. Also, RMI was one of the electronic records to digitization of re- ports and transactions. chant Marine (the Registry of Ships), QR first registries that had already developed www.marinelink.com 45