The St Kitts and Nevis International Ship Registry (SKANReg) is set to launch a range of electronic certificates on January 31st in an effort to speed up the vessel registration process, following the lodging of a notification of the initiative with the International Maritime Organisation (IMO).
Certificates that will be digitised after the deadline include, among others, the Provisional and Permanent Certificates of Registry, Bunker and Oil CLCs, Minimum Safe Manning Certificates and Exemption Certificates.
Those Electronic Certificates that are generated will contain a QR Code as well as a unique Controlled Certificate Number, with PDF encryption to be used to protect the documentation.
Liam Ryan, spokesperson for The St Kitts and Nevis International Ship Registry, said the move to digitise its certification process would help to speed up the way the Registry responds to the needs of its shipowners and managers.
“It is well known that shipping is changing as it embraces the digital age and this initiative by St Kitts and Nevis ensures we can react with the precision and efficiency that the market is demanding,” he said.
“We have lodged official notification with the IMO and have put in place stringent security processes to ensure the documentation is safe.”