KINGSTOWN, St. Vincent, Sept 25, CMC -St. Vincent and the Grenadines has become the latest Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) state advancing plans to establish a Maritime Single Window (MSW) to digitalise its maritime sector.
The MSW is a centralized information technology platform that facilitates the exchange of information among ships and various government agencies for the efficient arrival, stay, and departure of ships at ports.
The International Maritime Organization (IMO) says that as of January 1 this year, all its member states are required to implement MSW systems to streamline port procedures and enhance efficiency.
St. Vincent and the Grenadines, along with four other Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) namely St. Lucia, Dominica, Grenada, and St. Kitts-Nevis, are setting up MSWs with support from the IMO, the St. Lucia-based OECS Commission, and the Antigua and Barbuda government.
A team of experts completed a needs assessment missions in each country to review current port clearance procedures. The mission in St. Vincent and the Grenadines earlier this month, included a workshop with regulatory agencies and meetings with high-level officials and stakeholders, organized and facilitated by the Maritime Administration at the Ministry of National Security.
The team has since presented its findings and recommendations, which will inform a gap analysis of the current system and a cost analysis for establishing an MSW that meets IMO requirements.
This needs assessment mission was the third in the series, following St. Lucia and St. Kitts and Navis in August. Upcoming missions are scheduled for Grenada in October and Dominica in January next year.
The MSW systems of all OECS member states will be connected to the regional repository of the Caribbean Community Implementation Agency on Crime and Security-Joint Region Communication Centre (CARICOM IMPACS-JRCC).
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